INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENT

WHAT IS accident ?* Accident is an unplanned and uncontrolled event in which the action of an object, person results in personal injury. * Industrial accidents conceive them as arising directly out of the work situation from faulty equipments or inadequate performance of an individual.

Accident proneness :-

Accident proneness is the continuing tendency of a

person to have accidents as a result of stable and

persistence characteristics.

INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENT :-

An event of accident that suddenly occurs when one or number of employees/workers placed in plant.

TYPES OF INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS ARE :- (1) Near accident i.e. an accident with no damage or injury.(2) Trivial(3) Minor(4) Serious(5) Fatal (death)

Causes of industrial accident :-•The broad category of industrial accidents covers anything from small cuts and bruises to huge disasters that affect a large population of people. Causes of industrial accidents can be broken down into two broad categories: unsafe conditions and unsafe acts -•Unsafe conditions -> Insufficient workspace lighting, excessive noise, slippery or unsafe flooring, extreme temperature exposure, inadequate protection when working with machinery or hazardous materials, unstable structures, electrical problems, machine malfunction or failure, and more .•Unsafe acts -> actions or failures to act which result in injury. This can be a result of employee negligence but employers, organizations, and product manufacturers can also be liable for the causes of industrial accidents.

GENERAL FACTORS :-•POOR ERGONOMICS :- Ergonomics is a science concerned with the ‘fit’ between people and their work.•MANUAL HANDLING OF LOADS :- Manual material handling entails lifting, climbing, pushing and pulling- all of which pose the risk of injury to the back.•OPERATIONS OF AUTOMOBILES :-These includes accidents involving truck, van and car crashes during the course of work.•SLIP AND FALL INJURIES AND DEATH :- Incidents involving falls from height, stairs, windows, and so on slippery surfaces on construction sites.

* ELECTRICITY :- Dangers of electricity include a variety of hazards including electric shock, psychological damage, physical burns, neurological damages- etc.* FIRE AND EXPLOSIONS :- The presence ofexplosive materials, fire, flammable gases may result in explosions and burn injuries and other traumatic injuries.* ACID BURNS :- Chemical burns occur when the skin is in contact with strong acids and alkaloids.* GAS :- High pressure gases, hot gases, oxygen, free gases, poisonous gases, toxic materials can cause severe accident even death.* FOREIGN BODIES IN EYE :- Foreign objects such as metal, alkali can cause scratch, swelling, eye bleeding, traumatic iritis of the eyes.* CLOTHING :-Improper clothing could lead to accident.

TECHNICAL CAUSES :-

Machinery FACTORS :-Occurs due to unsafe mechanical design and constructions , hazards arrangement , improper machine-guarding , defective device , improper material handling , and leaking.

SITUATIONAL FACTORS :-•Too low and too high temperature.•Too high humidity to cause fatigue and drowsiness.•Defective illumination.•Inadequate rest and breaks between working hours.•Poor housekeeping , noise , bed order and flash coming from nearby machinery , equipment or process.

WORKING SCHEDULES :-It is a well known fact that there is a close relationship between the duration of the working period and the accident rate in industry. Vernon (1940) has shown that the accident rate is almost two and a half times higher when the duration of work is raised from 10 hours to 12 hours per day.

HUMAN CAUSES :-

•Age/ senility•Health•Lack of knowledge and skill•Improper attitudes towards work•Emotional instability ( E.G. Envy )•Mental worries•Not use of safety device•Working in unsafe speed•Improper use of tools•Undesirable attitudes•Failure to recognize potential hazards

•Faulty judgements concerning space and distance•Inability to pay constant attention to machines and tools•Irresponsibility/ carelessness•Accident proneness•Defective vision•Improper sensory motor ability•High blood pressure•Improper muscular and perceptual speed•Frustration

Lists of some major industrial accidents in Indian context :-•December 3, 1984: The Bhopal disaster in India is one of the largest industrial disasters on record. A runaway reaction in a tank containing poisonous methyl isocyanate caused the pressure relief system to vent large amounts to the atmosphere at a Union Carbide India Limited plant. Estimates of its death toll range from 4,000 to 20,000. The disaster caused the region's human and animal populations severe health problems to the present.•May 28, 1965: Dhanbad coal mine disaster took place in Jharkhand, India, killing over 300 miners.

CHARTS REFERING INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENT :-

INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENT COULD OCCUR ALSO DUE TO ALCOHOLISM :-

MEASURES FOR COMBATING :-To combat hazards and accidents certain safety measures and precautions are been taken up for a smooth running of the industrial work place. Scholars define safety as a procedure designed to lower the occurrence or risk of injury, loss and danger to person's property or the environment.

INITIATIVES BY THE GOVERNMENT :-There are innumerable statutory legislations for labour welfare which looks up the health services and precautions to be taken up by the industrial set up in India. To name few are The Factories Act 1948, The Mines Act 1952, The Plantation Act 1951, The Motor Transport Workers Act 1961 and The Contract Labour (regulation and abolition). Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 follows a set procedure prescribed by the government to avoid industrial accidents and hazards to maintain industrial safety. The foremost activity which these Acts provide is First Aid appliances in work place .The presence of such First aid is necessary to promote a accident free work place.

This Act also covers to investigate the imminent dangers, catastrophic and fatal accidents, employee complaints, programmes high hazard inspections and re-inspection :-·Imminent Danger: Condition where there is reasonable certainty that a danger exists that can be expected to cause death or serious physical harm immediately or before the danger can be eliminated through normal enforcement procedures. ·Catastrophic and Fatal Accidents: Investigation of fatalities and catastrophes resulting in hospitalization of three or more employees. ·Employee Complaints: Each employee has the right to request an OSHA inspection when the employee feels that he or she is in imminent danger from a hazard or when he or she feels that there is a violation of an OSHA standard that threatens physical harm. · Programmed High Hazard Inspections: OSHA establishes programs of inspection aimed at specific high hazard industries, occupations, or health hazards. ·Re-inspections: Establishments cited for alleged serious violations may be re-inspected to determine whether the hazards have been corrected.

COMMON MEDICAL AMENITIES FOR THE EMPLOYEES :-·Suitable equipped first aid centres, ambulance rooms ·Regular hospitals either in the factory premises or inside the township ·General medical treatment and health care. ·Separate arrangements for specialist treatment for diseases like tuberculosis, cancer, leprosy and mental illness ·Hospital and dispensary facilities for the treatments of workers and their families ·Arrangements for the treatment at government hospitals at their own cost by the employers if it is necessary Private sector companies such as Tata Steel, Tata motors, Philips, Hindustan Unilever Godrej, JK (Kanpur), L& T Indian Dye Stuffs (Mumbai) Mafatlal Industries Ltd and many others have extended medical facilities to their employees. In fact most companies today medical reimbursement facilities, the amount varying with each company The Committee on Labour Welfare in the case of smaller units has recommended the following ·Providing medical facilities to joint basis by a group of employers in scattered areas ·Providing medical facilities to the workers by a joint drive by the institutions like industrial cooperatives, industrial estates. ·Popularizing other systems of medicine namely Ayurvedic, Sidda, Unani and Homoeopathy, by setting up dispensaries running on these systems in the areas of concentration of industrial workers Preventive and curative measures for occupational diseases.

PREVENTIVE MEASURE :-·Pre employment and periodic medical examination.·Removal of health hazards to the extent possible.·Surveillance over certain classes of workers such as women, young persons and persons exposed to special risks .·Emergency treatment for accidents .·Training of first aid personnel and education of workers in health and hygiene.

CURATIVE MEASURE :-The curative aspects will begin once a worker suffers from ill health or disease. The statutory provisions in labour laws for safeguarding the health of workers are as follows -·Restrictions on employment of women at certain hours and places .·Protection for young persons.·Provisions of first aid and ambulance services.·Provisions relating to cleanliness, disposal of waste and effluents, ventilation and temperature and dust fumes and lighting.

The term measure means the provision devices, equipment or other modes which ensure safety. Safety measures can classified as –1. Safety measure for design of factory premise:- (a) Adequate layout (b) Emergency exist (c) First aid (d) Arrangements II. Safety measure against machine accident –(a) Provision of interlock guard (b) Enclose dangerous parts with suitable casing (c) Dangerous parts should be out of reach during operation III. Safety measures against fire (a) Fire fighting equipments (b) Proper storage of explosives. (c) Adequate exists. V. Safety measures against electric hazards- (a) Warning signals(b) Underground Cable (c) Safety fuse should be there

Industrial safety is conducive to improve productivity. It affects productivity as- (a) If a worker is mentally ensured that he is working is safe working condition. His morale will be high and he will work with more concentration and thus productivity' will increase. (b) Safe working environment helps in motivating employees to perform their job in efficient manner. (c) Safe workplace environment leads to reduction of accident and hence reduction in direct and indirect cost of accident. (d) Safe working environment helps in reducing absenteeism which will in turn lead to increase productivity.