SAFETY MANAGEMENT & SITE ESTABLISHMENT (D39MS)

UNIT 2: ACCIDENTS

Lecture plan

• Some examples and the real definition of accidents

• The causes of accidents

• Accident statistics

• The recording and reporting of accidents and the strengths and limitation of the UK system

• Who do accidents happen to?

• Accident investigation

• The real costs of accidents and significance for business of the ‘accident cost iceberg’

• Some short films

UK Construction figures

In 2011/12 there were: significant reductions in the number and rate of injury over the last 20 years

or more

49 fatal injuries

5 000 occupational cancer cases are estimated to arise each year

estimated 74 000 total cases and 31 000 new cases of work-related ill health

an estimated 1.7 million working days were lost due to work-related ill health and a further 0.6 million due to workplace injuries = 0.87 and 0.34 days per worker

And these are only the ones reported (http://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/industry/construction/)

? 000s MINOR INJURIES

???? DAMAGE ONLY ACCIDENTS

Fatal injuries – Construction Industry

Statistics

(Source: HSE, 2012) Source name: Work related injuries and ill health

Available at (http://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/industry/construction/construction.pdf)

Examples.......

Case 1

Case 2

Examples.......

• The lone worker taking photos

• The overhead cables

• The roof inspection

• The demolition worker

Full description appears in the notes on

Vision.

Definition of Accidents

The official definition of an accident given by the

HSE (Health and Safety Executive) is –

“any unplanned event that results in injury or

ill health of people, or damage or loss to

property, plant, materials or the environment

or a loss of a business opportunity.”

There are other definitions, but this is the one

we will use in this course.

Impressions

• Most people think that accidents are things that just

happen

• It’s just bad luck

• There is no real cause, no blame attached

• Since nothing ‘caused’ it, then it cannot be prevented

But...

Look again at the definition – it does not mention

who’s fault it might have been – just that it was

unplanned

AND, accidents include:

Physical accidents (Fatalities, Major injuries, Minor

injuries, Non injury events/near misses)

Illness and diseases

Damage to materials and plant

Environmental damage

Business losses

Categories of accidents

Accidents can be divided into 2 broad

categories

• Those which result from

PHYSICAL CAUSES/HAZARDS

• And those which result from

HEALTH HAZARDS

1. Physical causes

• Most common cause of all types of physical accidents is:

SLIPS, TRIPS AND FALLS

• Most of these happen on a smooth level surface, which is why tidiness and housekeeping are so important on a building site

1. Physical causes

The most common cause of fatalities in construction is: FALLS FROM A HEIGHT These most often happen:

from a roof through a roof light through a fragile roof from a ladder from scaffolding through an unguarded opening in a floor

That is why edge protection, guard rails, and safe ladder use are so important

1. Physical causes

• Other major physical causes of serious injuries and

fatalities in construction are:

Being struck by vehicles or run over

Being struck by falling loads, equipment or materials

Being crushed by collapsing structures, including

excavations and scaffolding

1. Physical causes

• So what do we concentrate our accident prevention efforts on?

Check the web sites for publicity and see if

this holds true

2. Health hazards

Major illness and disease problems and their causes are :-

Lung diseases caused by dusty atmospheres (especially asbestos)

Muscle, joint and bone problems (especially back, shoulder and leg) due to heavy and repetitive lifting and moving

Vibration white finger due to use of hand tools

Skin cancer caused by exposure to strong sunlight

Dermatitis (skin inflammation) due to contact with chemicals and cement

Vibration White Finger

Skin Cancer

Contact Dermatitis

Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that

develops from the protective lining that covers many

of the body's internal organs, the mesothelium. It is

usually caused by exposure to asbestos

Sand blasting a stone wall

Sand blasting

2. Health hazards

4 MAIN GROUPS :-

• Chemical e.g. exposure to silica, lead, asbestos,

solvents, mineral oils, carbon monoxide

• Biological e.g. insects, fungi, bacteria, viruses

• Physical e.g. noise, vibration, radiation, heat, cold,

sunlight, electricity, high and low pressure, heavy

and/or repetitive lifting

• Psycho-social e.g. stress, overwork, monotony,

shift patterns

Detailed notes on examples of each type are on Vision.

EXAMPLE OF VISION NOTES

Work Related Dermatitis

The main work activities that can influence this hazard are:

Workers whose skin is exposed to windy, wet and cold weather. This has the effect of removing the thin layer of lipids (oils) on the skin's surface, leaving the skin more susceptible to the penetration of irritants.

Symptoms

The skin will appear dry, red, sore and sometimes itchy, reducing the skin’s ability to withstand the effects of chemicals, dusts etc.

Dermatitis can spread all over the body. Some substances can cause serious damage if they reach the internal organs

Controls Complete risk assessments for at-risk work areas or operatives

Take steps to eliminate or at least minimise the risks by avoiding the use of harmful substances or work operations in exposed conditions wherever possible

Inform supervisors and workers about any substances they work with that can cause dermatitis

Accident statistics

• Almost all Governments in industrialized countries gather statistics on different categories of accidents to give an indication of how their industries are performing, and to give an indication of whether closer controls are needed in certain areas

• Such statistics are often used to justify new legal controls for industries or activities which show an unacceptably high accident rate

Accident statistics

• It is important to remember that no

reporting system is perfect and there

will always be some that are not

reported. So the official figures are

always under-reporting the real

situation. Or to put it another way, in

the real workplace it is always more

dangerous than the figures suggest.

The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) 1995

RIDDOR

• Laws vary between countries, but in the UK the gathering of accident data is controlled by a law called The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR)

• They tell industry what accidents to report, how to report them, and give time limits for sending reports

What’s the point of RIDDOR?

• HSE need to know about the more serious

accidents, diseases and dangerous

occurrences at work so they can perform

their statutory role.

• They can analyse where and how risks arise

and then investigate/enforce.

What needs to be reported?

• Death or injuries: – employee or a self-employed person working on your

premises is killed or a member of public killed; or

– suffers a major injury (including violence); or

– Over-seven-day injuries (employee/self-employed off work, or incapacitated for normal work for more than 7 consecutive days)

• Occupational diseases: – doctor notifies you of reportable work-related disease;

• Dangerous occurrences: – categories of near-misses

• Gas incidents

RIDDOR

Covers:

• Employers

• self-employed

• people in control of work premises

• employees

• trainees

• other people injured on premises

RIDDOR

Major injuries include: • fracture of skull, spine, pelvis, arm,

leg, wrist, ankle

• Any amputation through any bone

• loss of sight (temporary or permanent

RIDDOR

Major injuries (continued):

• certain eye injuries

• electric shock requiring attention

• unconsciousness through lack of oxygen

• acute illness due to exposure to certain materials requiring hospitalisation for more than 24 hours

RIDDOR

Reportable occurrences:

• structural collapses

• fires and explosions

• failure of breathing apparatus while in use

• scaffold collapse

• contact with or arcing of overhead cables

Social Security (Claims and

Payments) Regulations 1979

Every accident involving personal injury to an employee must be entered in the accident book by:

• the employee or

• someone acting on behalf of the employee

The accident book must be kept accessible.

An employer must investigate all accidents reported

Reporting to enforcing

authorities

You can report accidents and occurrences by: • Online (all incidents)

• Telephone (for fatal and major injuries only. - call the Incident

Contact Centre on 0845 300 9923 - opening hours Monday to Friday

8.30 am to 5 pm)

• Telephone (contact duty officer on 0151 922 9235 for reporting out of

hours only in work-related death; a serious incident with multiple casualties; or an incident which has caused major disruption)

RIDDOR:

Details of employee injury (normal

working Monday to Friday 8.00 am to 5.00

pm)

Days off

work

Hrs in

hospital

Tick if RIDDOR applies

1

Sprained arm

(put on ‘light duty’

with 10 days off

normal job)

1 day

Nil

2

Broken arm

30 days

4 hrs

3

Broken finger

9 days

3 hrs

4

Broken finger

4

days

3 hrs

5

Dermatitis

1 day

Nil

6

Sprained ankle on 13th

Thursday, returns to work on

24th Monday

6 days

Nil

RIDDOR:

Details of employee injury (normal working

Monday to Friday 8.00 am to 5.00 pm)

Days off

work

Hrs in

hospital

Tick if RIDDOR applies

7

Amputation of finger

2 days

6 hrs

8

Vibration white finger

nil

nil

9

Twisted ankle

8 days

nil

10

Twisted ankle

1 days

3 hrs

11

Electric shock (not unconscious)

2 days

nil

12

Electric shock (unconscious)

2 days

25 hrs

13

Electrical fault causing fire but workshop out

of use for only 24 hours

N/A

N/A

14

6 metre high scaffold collapses

N/A

N/A

RIDDOR: Answers

Details of employee injury (normal

working Monday to Friday 8.00 am to 5.00

pm)

Days off

work

Hrs in

hospital

Tick if RIDDOR applies

1

Sprained arm

(put on ‘light duty’

with 10 days off

normal job)

1 day

Nil

The ‘light duty’ counts as 10 days

off work

2

Broken arm

30 days

4 hrs

Any fracture but not toes and

fingers

3

Broken finger

9 days

3 hrs

4

Broken finger

4

days

3 hrs

No

This is because of less than 7

days off work

5

Dermatitis

1 day

Nil

Only if confirmed by doctor

6

Sprained ankle on 13th

Thursday, returns to work on

24th Monday

6 days

Nil

10 days not available for work

(including Sat and Sun)

RIDDOR: Answers

Details of employee injury (normal working

Monday to Friday 8.00 am to 5.00 pm)

Days off

work

Hrs in

hospital

Tick if RIDDOR applies

7

Amputation of finger

2 days

6 hrs

Any amputation

8

Vibration white finger

nil

nil

Only if confirmed by a

doctor

9

Twisted ankle

8 days

nil

More than 7 days off work

10

Twisted ankle

1 days

3 hrs

No

11

Electric shock (not unconscious)

2 days

nil

No

12

Electric shock (unconscious)

2 days

25 hrs

Unconscious-

ness

13

Electrical fault causing fire but workshop out

of use for only 24 hours

N/A

N/A

14

6 metre high scaffold collapses

N/A

N/A

Over 5 metres

high

National statistics

Using the data from all of the reports of accidents, diseases and dangerous occurrences, regulators and governments produce statistics which can then be used for comparison between industries, between sectors, between countries, and even between individual companies.

How many people were killed and injured in construction work in your country according to the latest official statistics ?

How does this compare to death and injury rates in other industries, and with the construction industry in other countries ?

The information you find about these statistics may be very useful to you in the examination for this course.

Company information

In addition to the information they have to

report, companies will also have lots of

data about many less serious accidents

and near misses.

This can be very valuable – although

most companies ignore it deliberately.

The Accident Triangle

Many accident ratio studies have been undertaken and the one shown below is

based on studies carried out by the Health & Safety Executive.

Near misses are the events which could have been a serious accident if

circumstances had been different. Near misses are often the only warning we

get that something serious is going to go wrong.

There is a relationship between near misses and the different types of

accidents.

1 Major accident

30 Minor accidents

300 Near misses (no injury)

Near misses

• This means that almost all injuries will be preceded by a number of near misses. If we can learn to recognize these near misses, and remove the hazard or reduce the risk at an earlier stage, then many accidents could be prevented. This is the basis of ACCIDENT PREVENTION, and it is the reason why companies should also keep records of near misses on their sites as well as reportable accidents.

• It can be difficult to get workers to report near misses and minor accidents. Often they think they will be blamed. Management must make it clear that reporting them is important because it might save someone’s life or health at a later date, and that no-

one will be blamed for making a report.

Who has accidents ?

Construction accidents, whether resulting in injury or fatality, affect all trades, all levels of experience and indeed strike the professionals too, such as architects, structural engineers, quantity surveyors, site managers etc.

Who do you think is most at risk of a serious accident on a building site ?

The danger does not stop with those working on site but can involve members of the general public, including children.

Why do you think the public, and especially children, might be hurt on a building site ?

Who is most at risk ?

Anyone working at height

Inexperienced new starters

Untrained workers

Young people

Habitual risk takers

Drug and alcohol abusers

Labourers (70% of fatalities)

Site visitors / the public (10%)

Children

Trespassers

Pregnant women / new mothers

Accident investigation

In the UK there is a legal duty for employers to investigate accidents and to record their findings, but even the ones who do this usually only investigate injuries, and miss out on the important information that can be provided by near misses and other non injury accidents.

The main reasons for investigating are :-

to find out the real facts and causes as soon as possible

to provide information which might prevent another accident

to have a written record in case of a later query

to provide an explanation or defence in case of court action

to show to an enforcement officer if required

to demonstrate compliance with the law

to comply with company safety policy

So why not investigate?

• Although the failure to investigate accidents is widespread there are no really valid reasons for not doing so. It usually indicates that the company has something to hide, or knows that it has done something wrong.

• Failing to investigate an incident and keep a report can have serious effects later on. It can convince an Enforcement Officer that the company should be prosecuted in the criminal courts, and can be used in court to show that the company was not taking safety seriously.

• On the other hand, if a company has had an accident but has investigated it properly, kept proper records, and used the information to improve safety for the future, then this creates a good impression.

How to investigate an accident

(or near miss)

Who investigates ? Is there a conflict of interest ? There are four basic stages to follow :-

1. Collect facts and evidence. Take photographs before the scene is changed, and measurements if appropriate. Ask the questions who, what, where, when, how and why ? Write it all down at the time.

2. Put the information together into a report and analyse what happened.

3. Look at company policy, industry standards and legal requirements to draw conclusions about what went wrong.

4. Implement the finding to prevent further accidents, and monitor progress.

Investigations

Many companies now have their own standard incident reporting form to guide an investigator through the process and ensure that the right information is gathered.

Many of the construction industry trade bodies also produce model forms for their members to use.

In the UK, failure to carry out an investigation, and failing to use the information to improve safety, are criminal offences.

The real costs

• In many cases the true cost of an accident is not measured by money. It is measured by the blood of the victim, and the tears of their family. The human cost of needless accidents and ruined lives is hard to repay when money is not the currency demanded.

• The more serious the accident, the more true this becomes.

But money shouts

All accidents cost money in some form or another. But then all companies carry insurance against just this sort of thing, and many assume therefore that all their costs from accidents and ill health will be covered.

Or, put another way, they think that a failure of safety will cost them nothing whereas extra safety precautions will cost lots. Could this be why so many companies choose to neglect the safety of their employees ?

However, the economics of accidents tell a different story. In the construction industry it seems that for every pound (dollar/yen/ drachma etc) of accident costs that are recoverable from insurance, there are eleven times that cost which are uninsured.

Graphically it looks like this, and is referred to as

“The Accident Cost Iceberg”

Cost formulae

Some attempt has been made to analyse cost data in a way that allows comparisons to be made. The following formulae can be used to compare accident costs on sites where contract sums are different and contracts are undertaken at different times. You may see them quoted in official reports and company performance figures.

Accident Loss Ratio (ALR)

Total costs of site accidents for a project

ALR = -----------------------------------------------------

Contract sum

Safety Investment Ratio (SIR)

Safety investment is generally aimed at protecting the health and safety of staff, and protecting other investments in plant, equipment and materials. Generally speaking a high Safety Investment Ratio should produce good safety performance.

Total safety investment for a project

SIR = -------------------------------------------------- × 100%

Contract sum

Safety Performance Index (SPI)

This final formula gives a more ‘quantitative’ measure of safety performance.

Equivalent day loss = Day loss + (10 × %age disability )

The maximum percentage of disability is 100; 10 × 100 = 1000, and this means that

100% disability or a fatality is seen as the equivalent of 1000 days.

Total equivalent day loss

SPI = ------------------------------------ × 100%

Total man days

It should also be noted that ill health is also a major contributor to absence from work

and therefore to production loss.

Conclusions

• Safety saves lives and money • The most important reason for safety management has to be to save

human suffering and loss of life

• Zero Tolerance - Everyone involved in the industry should refuse to accept that accidents are inevitable and that, on the contrary, all accidents are avoidable

• Unfortunately a big stumbling block to achieving the safer working environment is that what everyone is seeking is MONEY

• Safety must be led from the top and for those at the top who have safety responsibilities they must start by convincing their colleagues that to invest in safety will in the long term make sound economic sense

• However, safety starts with individuals - with people taking care of their own safety, looking after others, and creating pressure for a better safety culture

Bring your laptops for the

next week’s tutorial