Hazard Awareness The Little Things Count Most of us have probably heard the old saying, "It's the little things that count." There are many small things that influence our lives, and ignoring them can sometimes have serious consequences -- particularly when it comes to safety. We have all been trained to watch out for the big hazards that could harm us, but the little ones can sometimes cause serious injuries too. One company became very concerned when its accident frequency showed a large increase over a three-month period. Management began an in-depth check of systems, equipment, and material that are considered to be high-hazard:...

Carelessness Have you ever done anything stupid, something that you know puts you at increased risk of injury? When you realize how stupid you were, whether you got hurt or not, do you ask yourself, "Why did I ever do that?" For your own future preservation, this should be a very important question for you to answer yourself. Consider the fact that approximately 20% of injuries are due to unsafe conditions and 80% are caused by unsafe acts. If you realize that most unsafe conditions are brought about by human failure, then virtually all accidents are brought about by unsafe acts....

Reporting and Investigating Accidents You should be constantly alert to potential causes of accidents - before they happen. All unsafe acts or conditions should be reported to your supervisor immediately, even if no one was hurt! A complete accident investigation determines the following: What happened? When did it happen? Where did it happen? Who was involved? Why did it happen? How can it be prevented from happening again? The observations of co-workers can be critical. As a co-worker, you can assist in an investigation by: Making mental or written notes about the accident before the investigation starts. Avoid talking to others before talking...

Electrical Hazards - Anatomy Of An Accident A crew of four linemen were installing intermediate poles on an existing single phase 14.4 KV distribution line. Three of the workers were journeymen with 30 or more years of experience. The fourth was an apprentice with almost 3 years experience. The following summary describes a tragic accident: One of the journeymen and the apprentice were belted off below the neutral bracket on a newly installed pole, using hot sticks to tie off the energized conductor. Another journeymen on the ground was using a hold-down to keep the conductor in place while the wrap-lock...

Emergency Preparedness Are you mentally prepared for an emergency? Emergency Preparedness is not only the physical steps to take. How would you mentally handle an emergency? Would you know what to do if an emergency occurred while you were on the job? Do you know what actions to take if a co-worker was seriously injured, a fire ignited, or a structure collapsed? Are you mentally prepared to react to an emergency? Emergencies and disasters are a reality of everyday life. Local and international news programs document such occurrences every day throughout the world. Too many lives are lost and property is damaged because...

Reporting And Investigating An Accident A good accident investigation tries to answer these questions: What happened? When did it happen? Where did it happen? Who was involved? Why did it happen? How can it be prevented from happening again? When these questions are answered for all accidents and near misses, patterns often emerge and preventable causes are often discovered. But the patterns may not be true unless information acquired during the investigation is complete and accurate. The observations of co-workers, as well as from employees that were directly involved, can be critical. It helps if everyone will: Make mental or written notes...

Hazard Recognition I've never met a worker who intentionally injured himself or herself. This should go without saying. Unfortunately, many workers are seriously injured each year and many people still believe that accidents "just happen." But, accidents do not just happen! What Goes Wrong? Usually, an error that is within the control of one or more people is at the bottom of things. Often, several errors take place, at the same time, for an accident to occur. So when we analyze accidents, we should focus on which aspects of a task were controlled and which were not. Assuming that workers have been...

What Does An Accident Cost? Every accident has something in common: It costs everyone involved something. There are direct and indirect costs, both to the employee who was injured and the employer who eventually will pay for the accident. The costs are more than dollars. Guide for Discussion Employee Direct Costs Lost regular wages and overtime Employee Indirect Costs Mental anguish, physical pain and suffering Decreased active participation with their family and friends (It's tough to be at a ball game when laying up in a hospital bed) Inability to be productive on or off the job Employer Direct Costs Workers’ Compensation...

Accident/Incident Reporting Instructor Note: Before you start to talk, determine who the accident or incident information should be reported to (don’t forget the company Safety Committee) and who will fill out the Injury Report in the company office. The following points should be covered in discussing the importance of reporting and investigating accidents, incidents or near miss accidents: Guide for Discussion Always report any accidents or near misses to Employer. Any injuries needing first aid or medical attention should be reported to Employer. What employees do in the case of an emergency (first aid and calling for an ambulance)? Where is the nearest hospital? What is the...

Accidents Are Avoidable Each time someone is injured, we need to ask ourselves “how did it happen?” Accidents just don’t happen, they are caused. Accidents are usually a result of someone not paying attention or not knowing how to recognize a job (or home or automobile) safety hazard. Jobs with effective safety attitudes have about a fifth as many injuries compared to those without the safety attitude. Today we will discuss some general rules to follow and the four hazard avoidance rules. Guide for Discussion General Rules Learn the safe way to do your job. Don’t jump from one elevation to another. Don’t work under...