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 Claim

Recovering some data that is still relevant.

Construction is still the sector responsible for most victims of fatal accidents. Let's take an example from the European Union: In Portugal, last year, the construction sector accounted for more than half of fatal accidents at work. Of the 280 accidents, 156 occurred in the construction industry.

The Labour Inspection points out, concerning the causes for this increase in accidents in 2001, that "many high-risk projects, especially bridges and overpasses, resort to the use of inadequate and / or in poor condition equipments, and projects are developed without the necessary quality using, in some cases, inadequate building techniques".

Already in 2002, there were 124 fatalities in industrial accidents, of which 58 occured in construction.

The major causes of death in this sector are:

- crushing;

- falls from height;

- burial;

But the high level of presented claims is not limited to construction. The branches of industry and transport are also causing many fatalities.

Now, you may be thinking, that's in Portugal. Well, it appears that despite the high rate of occupational accidents, Portugal is in the European average, with a "tax claims of around 93 injured workers for every hundred thousand". According to the study "The Social situation in the European Union 2002", the European average is of 90 accidents per hundred thousand workers.

Firms should not forget those who die from accidents at work, and those who do not. Even the ones who escape are often partially or totally disabled for life in the wake of accidents at work.

Updates & awareness through humour

In the Humour blogroll, a new entry, called (suggestively) "Safe is Fun". As stated by it, it's meant to, through humour, direct attention towards the violation of safety rules around the world, highlighting recklessness. It resorts to humourous images or references gathered from various online sources, and is thus meant to create work accident awareness through humour.

I'd say, if it produces results in even one person then it is already a positive thing.

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.

The football kind of work accident: Cristiano Ronaldo

And now for a more sports-fan approach to occupational health and safety! When people think about the term "work accident", they tipically imagine an accident in an industrial setting. But this is a limited perspective of the issue: a work accident is any such event that occurs in the line of any kind of work. Let's then look at the effects of an accident in an atypical setting: football (or soccer, for the readers from the US).

You may have already heard about Cristiano Ronaldo (it's hard not to, with all the publicity)... the famous portuguese player that was hired by the spanish club Real Madrid in 2009, for an astronomical amount of money. If you're a fan of Manchester United, you've heard for sure, due to the controversy it generated. That transference gave him the title of "most expensive player in football history", up until the present moment, due to its value of £80 million (which is the same as saying €94 million or US$132 million). Preposterous sums, therefore. But that's not the issue here... on to the point. Recently, while playing for the Portuguese National Team, Cristiano Ronaldo sustained an ankle injury, which causes him to be out of action for probably around a month. Ouch indeed. Imagine the losses caused by such a high-price downtime, for the employers (economic) and the employee (physical and professional)! But just as a football player can hurt his feet when playing, you can hurt your hand, your head, your back, or just about anything else, in the course of your duty.

Of course, that's what insurance is for, no doubt. Any company (which a football team also is, after all) needs to have the mechanisms in place to ensure that the worker is compensated (its a weird example to be giving on this, but the man has his rights too, even if he makes more in an hour than most in a year) and has access to the medical care required to get better. I'm sure both the spanish club and the portuguese team do... but does YOUR company have them? It should. And you should be informed of what they are, just in case. In addition, most countries require that any worker, specially self-employed ones, have a professional health insurance, that covers personal damage and damage caused to others by eventual malpractice.

Besides these posterior compensations for business and worker, there should also be adequate support on site, to prevent a worsening of the injuries sustained... first-aid is usually mandatory. When Cristiano Ronaldo felt his ankle give way, he immediately notified the team medics, being replaced and medically assisted. Note that this is not a privilege of an expensive football player, though... its the right of ANY worker. Even if a medic cannot be present in every workplace, the first-aid kit should, and people should be trained to use it properly for the most common hazards.

These are not utopic ideals: they're actually the law in most places. And the fact that it's mixed with sport stuff? Well, that just makes it even cooler (especially if it better gets the point across). What's important: be safe, whether in work or in play!

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.

Medical equipment and hygiene

Most hospitals and clinics, although not all, have an internal rule that states that medical wear and gear (such as scrubs, labcoats, masks, stethoscopes, ...) cannot be worn outside the hospital facilities. Sounds weird, right? Why shouldn't medical professionals be allowed to go outside for a while without having to change clothes?

There is a very good and valid reason for this rule... and unfortunately, even in places where this rule exists in writing, it is often overlooked or ignored. The motive behind this imposition is connected to infections: medical wear and gear easily gather contaminants in non-clean environments, and can unwittingly carry germs from outside the facilities to the inside, or from the inside to the outside. It is a sanitary issue that all medical professionals should be aware of, and that should be addressed by all medical organizations.

Patients in hospitals often have weakened immunitary systems, due to already existing ilnesses or post-surgery recovery. When they are infected by such contaminants (even the most common ones), the risk of complications increases, as they have less means to resist the effects. When such infections occur, and the cause can be traced to negligence of the professionals involved, the patient or respective familiy should have the right to seek legal compensation.

Hospital health and safety can mark the difference between lives saved or lives endangered. As the phrase goes, "choose life".

Perception of warning signs

Safety signs are all around us. They serve a very important function, warning against a number of dangers that surround us in our daily work life.

However, we are sometimes so used to seeing them around, that our mind becomes accustomed to their presence. Thus, they become nearly "invisible" to our eyes. Adding to this the fact that most people take safety for granted, it spells work accident all across. And this is when we overlook the fact that many safety signs around are so worn or vandalized that their purpose is all but lost.

So, it is urgent that organizations take measures to "refresh" these signs. Psychology has long given its contribute to this, by suggesting alterations that challenge our accustomed perceptions. As a result, some companies choose to alter the placement of the signs; others alter their colors; others yet use attention-seeking strategies. A police initiative, some time ago, that consisted in the placement of life-sized police-uniform-equipped dolls on the side of the road, to discourage speeders around road-side work-sites, is a personal favorite.

Other informations on Psychology can be found at YouPsychology.com (a site on psychology applied to daily life).

Be creative, be aware, be safe.