SAFETY, SECURITY & CRISIS MANAGEMENT ASSIGNMENT

TOPIC: ACCIDENTS

SUBMITTED TO

SUBMITTED BY AKHILA J ROLL NO: 2 3rd SEM MBA (TT) SMS, CUSAT

Dr. M BHASI PROFESSOR SMS, CUSAT

ACCIDENT
An accident or mishap is an unforeseen and unplanned event or circumstance, often with lack of intention or necessity. It usually implies a generally negative outcome which may have been avoided or prevented had circumstances leading up to the accident been recognized, and acted upon, prior to its occurrence.

TYPES OF ACCIDENTS
Accidents are unplanned and sudden events that cause damage to person or property. Accidents can be classified into the following types: Auto accidents

Auto accidents are the most common type of accidents. Nearly1.2 million people die because of auto accidents each year. Nearly 50 million people all over the world are injured because of auto accidents annually. Auto accidents include car crashes, rollover of vehicles, bicycle, motorbike accidents, accidents in buses, vans, lorries and accidents to pedestrians because of vehicles. Boat and water accidents

Boat and water accidents include accidents that occur when embarking, disembarking or travelling in boats, yatches, ships and gondolas during regular work or on a holiday in the seashore. Train, tram and plane accidents

Train, tram, plane accidents are rare events and many people are killed in these accidents. The loss due to these accidents is very high. Trams and trains can derail causing heavy damage to life and property. Air crashes and engine failures in plane cause serious consequences.

Slips, trips and fall

Slip trip and fall accident can occur in various places like the pavement, shopping malls, public and private places due to uneven flooring, potholes, poor lighting, uneven stairs, polished and wet surfaces, spillage and squashed products on the floor, obstructions and unprotected work. It can also occur during holidays and vacation spots in hilly areas. Wrongful death/ clinical negligence

The negligence or incompetence or misconduct of any doctor, lab assistant, nurse, specialist or any other hospital staff which has aggravated the injury or created a new injury to the patient amounts to accident. Work accidents/ factory accidents

Work accidents can occur when there are unsuitable, hazardous, malfunctioning, faulty machinery or equipment. When manual lifting and handling of objects are there chances of accidents are high. Work accidents can occur due to unsuitable protective clothing and gear and insufficient training or non training. Injury can also be caused by careless coworkers and poor lighting. The employers should provide safe place of working, safe system of working and safe methods of working. Defective and dangerous products

Use of faulty products that have caused injury or are hazardous to life compensation can be claimed. The manufacturer or the importer in case the product is produced outside the country is liable to pay the damages. Dog bite/ snake bite / horse/ animal accidents

Dog bites, snake bites, attack by sharks, whales, crocodiles and other animals are accidents which require immediate medical attention. These are painful and its consequences are long lasting.

Food poisoning

Food poisoning is one of the accidents where the effects are unknown immediately and the pains occur the next day or in the next few days. Assaults , hijacking

Assaults and hijacking are criminal accidents. Criminal accidents should be reported to police immediately to claim compensation. Sports injury

In case of sports injuries that have been caused by thoughtless or negligent challenge compensation can be claimed from the challengers club, sponsor or team or board.

CAUSES FOR ACCIDENTS

Accidents occur for many reasons. Primarily, accidents are caused by people. Equipment may be involved, but people handle the equipment. In many situations, people tend to look for things or reasons to blame when an accident happens. This seems to them to be easier than to look for the root or basic reason for the incident to begin with. Below are some of the reasons that accidents occur:

1. Carelessness: Some locations are potential danger spots. The lack of alertness may cause accidents resulting in injury or death. People working on piers, weather decks, and in the ships hold must be constantly on the alert for moving or falling objects. As personnel become familiar with a job, they may try to take shortcuts; which place themselves and others in danger. Fatigue is another cause of carelessness. As people tire, they are less alert and more likely to cause an accident.

2. Inexperience: Unless personnel are indoctrinated and experienced in handling a particular piece of equipment, they should not be allowed to use it except under close

supervision. Persons who operate cranes, capstans, winches, windlasses and other deck equipment must first get authority from the first lieutenant. A person may know how to drive a forklift, but may not be fully aware of the safety precautions that should be observed while operating it. Operating materials-handling equipment is not the only way that inexperienced personnel may cause accidents. A person working as a cargo handler for the first time may not be aware of the dangers involved. A minor mistake such as an improperly loaded cargo net may result in injury to the operator or someone else.

3. Attitude: Some people work around dangerous machinery or equipment, explosives, acids, electrical equipment without mishap. They take necessary safety precautions. Others, however, working around dangerous objects or in dangerous work become over familiar with the dangers. They have a tendency to slack off in the practice of safety.

4. Being overconfident: Confidence is a good thing. Overconfidence to the point of arrogance is too much of a good thing. Also, the old adage of it cant happen to me, is an attitude that can lead to improper methods of doing your work, using incorrect procedures or sometimes the wrong tools. Any one of these items can cause an injury to the worker or to a fellow worker.

5. Ignoring Safety Procedures: Ignoring safety procedures, intentionally or unintentionally, can endanger you or other employees. The university has safety policies in place and we are supposed to observe them. Casual attitudes about safety can result in a casualty.

6. Starting a Job with Incomplete Instructions: We know in order to do a job safely and to do it right the first time, we need a complete set of instructions. Weve all seen situations where an employee made a mess of a task or assignment because he didnt have sufficient instructions or the instructions werent clear. When you are working on a job, dont ever be afraid to ask questions or get explanations for what is unclear to you.

7. Poor Housekeeping: Anytime that guests, friends, colleagues or safety professionals come through your work site, whether it is the maintenance shops, storage areas, offices, etc. the first impression they get is sometimes the lasting one. If the office is unorganized or dirty, the maintenance shops are cluttered and unorganized; it portrays a sense of looseness and a lack of pride in the work site. On the other side of the coin, if they enter and see it neat and orderly, a sense of pride and quality of purpose is the attitude that they are most likely to leave with.

8. Mental Distractions from Work: Bringing outside problems to work can keep you from focusing on your job. If this happens, it can be a hazard. Friends coming by while you are at work can cause a distraction and can keep you from focusing on the task at hand. Both of these incidents can put you into a hazardous situation. Dont become a statistic; stay focused on the task at hand.

9. Failure to Pre-Plan your Work: In the office or in other fields of work, it is important to pre-plan your work. First of all, it will uncover unforeseen problems and give you the opportunity to solve it and continue to work. Secondly, it will make the job go faster and more efficiently because you thought out the processes in advance of the start up.

PREVENTION OF ACCIDENTS
Accident prevention is an integral part of safety management, whether it is in your home, school or business office. By taking safety measures to prevent accidents, you can keep those around you safe by reducing the risk of injuries -- even fatalities. Start by examining what types of accidents pose the most threat and then figure out ways to avoid or minimize them.

1) Identification The first safety measure for preventing accidents is to identify the hazards that pervade. It is important to look at both the obvious safety threats as well as the ones that are inconspicuous. Fire, electric, slip-and-fall and mechanical hazards are some obvious

ones, but the less obvious types may include rugs that are not properly adhered to a floor surface or uneven floor tiles. As you think about all the ways that potential accidents can occur, write them down in order of severity so you know which ones to address first.

2) Safety Inspections Now that you know what types of hazards are most relevant to the environment you are attempting to keep safe, you can perform routine safety inspections to keep hazards under control. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, inspections are an essential part of preventing accidents that pertain to mechanical power presses, other types of machinery, electrical equipment and other types of safety hazards. During a safety inspection, you visually assess an object or environment to survey for conspicuous hazards. Inspections may also include testing equipment to ensure it performs properly upon use. You can perform safety inspections on anything, from a school desk to your home computer cords.

3) Warning Signs Warning and caution signs can prevent accidents by informing others about impending safety dangers. If the floor surface is wet or slippery, place a warning board to warn people to go away from the dangerous area. Setting out a warning sign for an area that has a risk of falling objects -- such as a construction zone -- will also prevent accidents. Even a label on a bottle of toxic chemicals can let people know the contents of the bottle are dangerous. Without warning signs, children and adults will have no knowledge that a safety hazard exists and thus risk experiencing accidents.

4) Storage You can take steps to prevent accidents by locking away things like chemical solutions and dangerous weapons so they are inaccessible to children or adults. This is a proactive way to keep those in the immediate environment safe even when hazardous objects must be present.

5) Training and Education By training and educating others on the types of accidents that exist in their environment, you can minimize safety hazards and create a safer atmosphere. Give people training on how to avoid injuries, how to use mechanical equipment, how to identify electric hazards, how to safeguard machines and how to understand warning signs. You may also wish to perform routine safety drills so individuals know how to safely evacuate an area and be safe from accidents during an emergency.