Accidents at Work

Accidents at Work - a lack of security in enterprises

An accident at work, in most cases, occurs through the fault of companies that do not meet safety standards and do not act preemptively. Work accidents are a reality, and this year alone hundreds of people have died as a result.

The consequences of these deaths are so heavy for the family and the company, that any responsible entrepreneur would be better focusing on security. The price is too high for either the worker or to the company, which is obliged to pay compensation to the worker's family and see his reputation tarnished by unnecessary deaths.

Taking into account the number of deaths that occurred in recent years, it is necessary to ensure that employers comply with the law and choose to invest in security measures. The number of work accidents could be reduced if companies:

- Identified potential risk situations;

- Invested in security measures;

- Adopted prevention programs;

- Listened to awareness campaigns;


Still, in many European small and medium enterprises, it may be harder to identify risk situations and implement security measures, as these firms often lack the resources to do so.


To discourage companies from breaking the rules of safety, in the workplace, there are several measures that can be applied:

- Suspensions of work if there are serious security flaws;

- Notices for taking measures to improve security conditions;

- The application of sanctions;

- A high cost of accidents, which exceeds the premium paid by the insurance company, both in kind and in cash;

- Loss of services;

- Loss of reputation;

- Possible court proceedings;

- Delays in meeting commitments;

- Drop in productivity;

- Lack of motivation of workers;

- Employee absenteeism;


A good path to follow is aggravating the penalties for industrial accidents through the fault of the employer, charging him with the responsibility of covering property damage and personal injuries in relation to the employee and their families.

That's my opinion, at least.

Work Accident Prevention is cool

Hey there! How has your company been doing, regarding work accident prevention? The people here at Accidentless.com have been promoting a few work accident prevention activities, which in turn has prompted some away-from-keyboard time.

But fear not! Soon there will be new advices, tips, reviews and law tidbits. Work accidents are an ever-present menace to workers everywhere.

A work accident is a serious matter, yet we try to approach it lightly, in order to reach a larger amount of people. So, stay with us and explore: keep reading, and seeing funny safety pictures of what not to do.

Avoid a work accident, build a safer environment today for you and your colleagues!

Haiti

Our minds, hearts, prayers and thoughts go out to the people of Haiti, and also to those who are devoting their efforts to help them as best they can. Please be safe while saving others.

Book Review: Introduction to Health and Safety in Construction

Authors: Hughes, P. & Ferret, E.
Publisher: Butterworth-Heinemann (Elsevier)

[For your convenience, you can find links to the product at Amazon.co.uk (UK residents) and Amazon.com (US residents) at the end of this article.]


This book is, without a doubt, THE standard text for anyone interested in taking the NEBOSH National Certificate in Construction Safety and Health, or anyone who develops work in the construction business: Introduction to Health and Safety in Construction (3rd Edition). Based on the Qualification and Curriculum Authority, it is a whooping 624 pages, with diverse chapters that even discuss study techniques and practice NEBOSH questions for each material.

In my opinion, it is a well designed resource both for students and professionals, making it a worthy resource for just about everyone. Fortunately, it does not make for boring read, being composed by clear text suitably accompanied by images and graphics to illustrate the discussed materials. Most topics include bulleted lists for easy reference and memorization. One of its main advantages is the fact that is serves as a handy guide for a vast number of needs in the field, drawing from experience and covering just about everything you're bound to find. The roles of each professional are also discussed, so that every aspect is attended and responsability falls where it is due... a very wise element, in my opinion. Where nothing is left at random, there is a smaller probability for the occurence of any kind of work accident (and if a accident happens, as they often do, consequences will be less severe).

Let's take a look at the topics covered, as described by the index:

- H&S Foundations
- Policy
- Organizing for Health and Safety
- Promoting a Positive H&S Culture
- Risk Assessment
- Principles of Control
- Monitoring Review and Audit
- Incident Investigation, Recording and Reporting
- Construction Law and Management
- Construction Site Issues
- Movement of People and Vehicles - Hazards and Control
- Manual and Mechanical Handling - Hazards and Control
- Work Equipment Hazards and Control
- Electrical Hazards and Control
- Fire Hazards and Control
- Chemical and Biological Health Hazards and Control
- Physical and Psychological Health Hazards and Control
- Working at Height – Hazards and Control
- General Site Issues – Hazards and Control
- Excavation Work and Confined Spaces – Hazards and Control
- Demolition – Hazards and Control
- Summary of the Main Legal Requirements
- International Aspects of H&S in Construction
- Study Skills
- Specimen Answers to NEBOSH Examinations

Quite a broad range of issues discussed, all very relevant and elaborated along the book. Bottom Line: recommended for all students and professionals in this area of work... every member of your team should have one. Especially those with H&S or management responsabilities.


Order it today from Amazon.co.uk:
Introduction to Health and Safety in Construction (3rd Edition)

Or, if you live in the USA, you can order from Amazon.com:
Introduction to Health and Safety in Construction, Third Edition: The handbook for construction professionals and students on NEBOSH and other construction courses

Recommended.

NEBOSH

NEBOSH is a name that many may have already heard of, in the field of Occupational Safety and Health. But what does it stand for, and what is it?

NEBOSH is the National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health, a UK-based examination board founded in 1979, responsible for accreditation (providing certificates and diplomas) on matters of safety, health and environment. There are many courses around the world, in order to prepare for NEBOSH examinations.

They provide the following certificates and diplomas:

- National Certificate in Occupational S&H
- National Certificate in Construction S&H
- Fire Safety and Risk Management Certificate
- International General Certificate in Occupational S&H
- National Certificate in Environmental Management

- National Diploma in Occupational S&H
- International Diploma in Occupational S&H
- Specialist Diploma in Environmental Management

In time, we're going to be discussing much more about NEBOSH exams, syllabuses and diverse materials, here at "Prevent a Work Accident"... so be sure visit often! Feel free to explore the resources available here, to prepare yourself for an exam or just to know more.

Safety / Risk Management

In an ideal setting, every workplace should have a safety management system. That would mean having a well-defined set of plans and measures to

a) prevent accidents;
b) to ensure that, if they happen, the damages (personal and material) will be minimized;
c) to investigate and record the events thoroughly, and;
d) to assess who or which departments are responsible (to be held accountable or to flag a need for improvement).

So, in order to claim having proper risk management, the safety standards (such as the OHSAS 18001) recommend to organizations the development of the following elements:

- emergency planning
- first aid provision
- accident investigation
- appropriate record keeping
- active and reactive monitoring
- provision of rehabilitation programmes
- reviewing and auditing performance

This is one of the steps required for a occupational health and safety certification, which in turn brings a lot of credibility to any business, showing a commitment to the well-being of the workers, to improvement, and to an effective strategic management.