Complicated and time-consuming safety procedures, personal protective equipment that restricts your freedom of movement: what are they actually good for? Sometimes they just seem to be overrated. So overrated, in fact, that it's easy to overlook how important they are. Too many accidents is caused by not adhering to these safety rules. How do accidents occur and how can you prevent them? What do you have to do if you are involved in an accident? A real-life example of an industrial accident reminds you how big the consequences (of a small carelessness) can be.
Accidents happen so easily..
In our field, too, there are many risks that can easily lead to an accident under certain circumstances. At the same time, under certain circumstances, many people may be inclined to take safety precautions less seriously.
How dangerous that is is shown by the following industrial accident.
At the end of his working day, a welder decides to quickly lift a metal pipe over a few cables. Because he was in a hurry, he found it too much trouble to change his normal shoes again and went to work without safety shoes. While lifting, the welder let the heavy pipe slip out of his hands so it landed on his right foot. Because he was not wearing safety shoes, three of his toes were badly bruised. He was lucky.....
Especially when you want to finish a job quickly, the risk of accidents is high. Being in a hurry is never an excuse to ignore safety regulations!
It is for this reason that we must ask ourselves (always and anytime) the question: what are the risks? What could go wrong? What measures do I need to take to reduce or eliminate the risks?
This applies not only to the technician at the project or location, but also to the work planner who prepares and plans the work. He will not see the nail on the left image, but he will see that work has to be done at a certain height, or in a confined space, etc. And will therefore also have to take preparatory measures for this and communicate them to the technicians!
"Practice is the best teacher....". However, in the field of safety, the practice can be very serious and this statement does not apply. You don't want to learn to work safely because of injuries sustained or more serious. Maybe you've never been affected by an industrial accident yourself, or you've never even experienced something similar happen to a colleague.
Especially then, the temptation is great to ignore complicated safety procedures. You may not even see the usefulness of it, or not enough. Keep in mind, that carelessly carried out work may go well for a long time. But when they go wrong, they often go very wrong.
"Prevention is better than cure"
Below a list of the most common causes of industrial accidents.
First of all, there are the so-called personal factors, which result in many accidents, such as:
- Lack of knowledge or experience in carrying out certain activities. Therefore, only carry out those activities for which you have a permit. If you are unsure whether you have sufficient skills for a particular job, always seek advice or assistance from your employer or competent colleagues.
- Stress and fatigue.
Always make sure that you are rested when you go to work. Of course, it can happen that you feel tense for whatever reason. It is precisely at times like these that you should take your time when carrying out the work and taking the necessary safety measures. Don't let your own impatience or a colleague's haste get you down. Your health comes first. - Insufficient motivation.
This can be the cause of inattention and carelessness. One way to prevent this is to ensure variety in your work. If necessary, contact your employer for this. If a variety of activities is not possible, force yourself to continue to work carefully. Even when, as can happen to anyone, you don't have your day.
A second cause of industrial accidents is task factors, which have to do with materials and working methods. For example:
- Use of improper tools or equipment and application of incorrect working methods.
Always make sure that you only carry out the work with the work materials that are intended for this purpose. Do not rush the work, but proceed carefully according to the prescribed method. - Inappropriately designed tools or equipment.
It is your employer's responsibility to ensure that employees can work with proper work materials and equipment. If you notice that you are working with inappropriate material, report this to your supervisor. He can then replace it. - Insufficient maintenance and wear and tear. Always make sure that the tools and equipment you work with are well maintained. So: lubricate on time and replace faulty parts (or have them replaced). Cleaning work materials is part of the daily routine. Always report wear and tear or defects to your supervisor immediately.
Overall, eighty percent of accidents are the result of human activity. No more than twenty percent is caused by force majeure or technical errors. This means that not machines but people are the biggest danger in the workplace. Therefore, always make sure that you adhere to all safety regulations, no matter how complicated or time-consuming they may seem. For the sake of your own safety, and that of your colleagues!
In any case, you can:
- Make sure you are "fit" for the work you have to do; (the right knowledge and skills, the right equipment, enough time, the right tools, well-rested and focused, etc.)
- Ensure that risks are identified, and that appropriate and effective measures are taken;
- Being aware of safety, as an integral part of your profession and your professional knowledge;
- Stop your work as soon as you see that it is not safe and take additional measures in consultation with your supervisor before you start your work again;
- Always report dangerous situations and near-accidents via the Veilig Unica App.
Emergency measures in the event of an accident
If an accident does occur in the workplace, it is very important that a quick and correct response is made. However, acting quickly does not mean acting hastily. Panic can only make the situation worse.
What should you do if you witness an accident in your work environment?
In the event of accidents with only material damage, proceed as follows:
- First of all, quickly but accurately record the situation. Is there a dangerous structure that can fall or collapse, faulty equipment that can cause even greater damage, a fire that can spread? It is very important to be aware of these risks before taking any action.
Do not put yourself or your colleagues or bystanders in unnecessary danger! - Then mark the hazardous area where the accident occurred so that your colleagues are also alerted.
- In some cases, freeze the situation so, if necessary, a proper accident investigation can take place so that the cause or causes can be determined as accurately as possible;
- Finally, inform your immediate supervisor and/or head of department so that he can take further measures. Never attempt to remedy the consequences of accidents with property damage yourself.
In the event of accidents resulting in personal injury, you should take the following steps:
- Start by recording the situation. Keep yourself, your colleagues and bystanders safe so they don't get hurt as well.
- Keep the victim safe, when possible and necessary. Prevent him from getting even more seriously injured.
- Inform the emergency services if necessary. This can be the local emergency response or first aid organization, but also via 112 the emergency services.
- Inform your immediate supervisor and/or department head. Briefly but clearly state that the incident has occurred and where the victim is located. The supervisor can then take further action.
- In the meantime, reassure the victim to prevent him or her from panicking. During the above actions, you must always adhere to the following rules:
- Leave lying victims down.
- Do not do anything to the victim to prevent the injury from worsening, unless you are a qualified first aid worker or ELH. If this is the case, only provide first aid while the victim is sitting or lying down, never when he is standing.
- Make sure the victim does not cool down. Cover him or her if necessary.
- Keep spectators away. Leave only the qualified rescuer(s) with the victim.
Whether you are dealing with an accident with property damage or personal injury, or a combination of these, always remember: do not act recklessly but think about every action. This is the only way to prevent worse.
Registration of accidents
Reporting an accident or near miss is not the same as registering it. This will be done later, but the report must be made as soon as possible after the accident. At Unica, the Veilig Unica App must be used to report and register an accident . Of course, in addition to any telephone communication required to initiate the follow-up of an accident.
The Veilig Unica App must therefore be available on the phone and/or laptop of every employee at all times.
Unica has a procedure in which the actions to be carried out are described (procedure for accidents, near misses and environmental incidents). Accidents that have not been reported cannot be recorded. That is why it is important to always report it, even if the (near) accident seems so unimportant.
The (near) accidents that are reported should be analysed regularly. Based on the results of this analysis, actions can be taken to prevent (near) accidents in the future.
Discusss the following questions:
- Do you have any examples of accidents that (also) had a major impact on you?
- Do you have the Veilig Unica app?
- Have you taken the ELH (First Livesaving Actions - Eerste Levensreddende Handelingen) course?
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