Health and Safety Accident Causes

1. Accidents /Hazardous Incidents.
By
Jim McCann
Unforeseen occurrence or event ????

2. There is a consensus amongst many safety
specialists that there are four distinct phases to
what is referred to as an accident.
Contributing factors

The Principle cause(s)

The accident or incident

The consequences of the accident


3. The Four Main Areas
Contributing Principle
factors Cause
Main Distinctions
Consequences
The Accident of the Accident

4. Poor training, supervision or instruction

Safety rules not enforced

Poor planning

Poor maintenance systems

Safety devices not provided

The Environment

Ergonomics


5. Lack of safety awareness

Aptitude and ability

Poor attitude towards safety

Tiredness, slow mental reaction

Inattention

Emotional state

Physical make up

Illness

Alcohol / drugs


6. Hearing impaired

Poor eyesight

Physical disabilities

Medical condition(s)


7. Protective equipment or guard not used

Manual handling (failure to allow for sharp or

slippery objects and pinch points, Poor lifting
techniques, loose grip, etc.)
Wrong equipment being used.

Poorly maintained tools and equipment

Poor housekeeping (slips, trips & falls)

Horseplay


8. Broken safety devices

No safety devices

Inappropriate use of Hazardous substances

Improper dress or apparel for the job

Poor illumination /environment


9. Fall

Slip

Trip

Strike against

Caught in or between

Erupt or explode

Burn

Ejection


10. CENTIPEDE: Contact, Entanglement, Nips &

Traps, Impact & Projections, Ejections,
Discharge & Environmental.
NECTRE: Noise & Vibration, Electricity,

Chemical, Temperature, Radiation, Explosion

11. Annoyance

Machinery, down time

Reduced moral

Man hours lost

Minor injuries

Disabling injuries

Fatality

Costs – Legal, Productivity, Medical aid,

Insurance premiums, Compensation,
Investigation times, Defence times……..Hassel
Prison, Fines & loss of reputation


12. Fatalities

Loss of Hand, Foot, Thumb or Eye

Broken Arm or Leg, Hip

Fractured Skull

Electrocution

Poisoning

Reportable / Proscribed diseases

Collapse of Scaffolding

Overturning of a crane/tower, failure of load

bearing parts
Collapse of a trench


13. A hazard is anything that can cause harm, A Risk is the
likelihood high or low of that harm being realised.
It is all too easy to identify the principal and contributing
causes of an accident after it has occurred. The difficult part
comes when you have to predict when an accident is likely
to happen and what would be the probable outcome. When
an accident does occur, it is an indication that someone or
something along the line has gone wrong and unsafe
conditions have been created. Managers, supervisor, Union
Reps and Employees will need to have a working
knowledge of the fundamental steps that need to be taken
to ensure effective control of the contributing causes of
accidents in order to reduce the risks to as low as is
reasonably practicable.