1.THE DEADLY DOZEN
We have often heard of the "Daily Dozen" with regard to proper exercise and
maintaining good health. The "Daily Dozen" has a counter-part, known as the
"Deadly Dozen", which is applicable to safety on the job, and which also has an
important bearing on health and welfare.
These causes of accidents
are classified in two categories of 12 each; "Unsafe Actions" and "Unsafe
Conditions." If we acquaint ourselves with these enemies, a majority of accidents can
be eliminated.
UNSAFE
ACTIONS:
1. Unauthorized use or operation of equipment.
2. Failure to secure or tie down against unexpected movement.
3. Operating or working at an unsafe speed.
4. Failure to warn or signal as required.
5. Removing or making safety devices inoperative.
6. Using defective tools or equipment.
7. Using tools or equipment unsafely.
8. Standing in an unsafe place or taking an unsafe posture.
9. Servicing moving or working equipment.
10. Riding hazardous moving equipment.
11. Horseplay, distracting, startling and kidding.
12. Failure to wear personal protective equipment.
UNSAFE
CONDITIONS
1. Lack of adequate guards or safety devices.
2. Lack of adequate warning system.
3. Fire and explosion hazards.
4. Unexpected movement hazards.
5. Poor housekeeping.
6. Protruding object hazards.
7. Close clearance and congestion hazards.
8. Hazardous atmospheric conditions.
9. Hazardous arrangement, placement storage
10. Hazardous defects of tools, equipment, etc.
11.Inadequate illumination, intense noise.
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2. WHAT
TO DO WHEN AN ACCIDENT OCCURS ON YOUR JOB
Major Injuries
The number one problem at the scene of a major injury is remaining calm. Do
not get excited for two reasons:
1. You can lose control of the situation
and create a lot of confusion.
2. If the injured person knows you are
confused about what to do, he becomes overly concerned about his own condition. The
following are recommendations for handling severe injuries:
- Have someone call an ambulance.
- Do not move the patient unless he is in
danger of further injury.
3. Do not leave the patient alone.
Someone should be with him at all times.
4. Reassure the patient he will be all
right. A good mental attitude is important.
5. Use the proper First Aid for the
in~ury. Once a patient has been removed by the ambulance, take the following steps:
- Investigate the accident. Get ALL the
facts. Get the names of witnesses.
- Notify the company office. Be sure to make
a full written report.
- If the victim of the accident dies from
his/her injuries then IOSHA/OSHA must be notified within 48 hours of the death.
Minor
Injuries
Any injuries no matter how minor should be given First Aid and a notation made in
the daily work book regarding who-when-where and treatment. Minor accidents can become
major accidents. All accidents should be investigated, the cause determined and corrective
action taken to prevent recurrence.
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3. WHAT
CAN THE EMPLOYEE DO ABOUT ACCIDENT PREVENTION?
Oftentimes, following a safety meeting, an employee wfll remark: "What can I do
about accident prevention? I just work here." And, more often than not, one
finds it hard to come up with a quick answer to that question. It is obvious though, that
since safe, or unsafe, conditions, and practices, occur at the employee level, there must
be a lot the employee can do about accident prevention. In fact, he has almost
total control of safety procedures in your organization.
Following are a few
answers to that question:
1. Accept acddent prevention as
part of your daily duties, and as a personal challenge.
You can't pass the buck and leave it to the other fellow.
2. Report unsafe
working conditions. If you see an unsafe working condition, report it promptly to your
supervisor.
3. Avoid
horsepIay- and discourage others from playing practical jokes.
4. Follow
instructions. Stick to safe, approved methods and do the job the right way.
Your supervisor has considered beforehand the best, and safest way to undertake the job.
Follow his plan. You may inadvertantly create an unsafe condition for fellow workers.
5. Make
suggestions. Develop an interest in your work and study your job. Find out how your
work ties in with the work of others. Try to improve methods, quality, and production, and
you will also improve safety. Discuss your ideas with your supervisor.
6.
Keep your work area neat and orderly.
Don't let unnecessary trash, materials and equipment accumulate. Maintain a safe place to
work.
7. Dress
for the job. Dressing safely will help you work safely. Leave off rings; wear
appropriate shoes; don't wear oil-soaked or too loose clothing. Dress cool in summer and
warm in winter.
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4. WHEN
AN ACCIDENT HAPPENS
As drivers, we must do all we can to prevent accidents. But if you're in an accident,
whether it's our fault or not, you should know what to do so the situation isn't made
worse and so that needed help is called immediately. You should be so sure what to do that
your actions are almost automatic.
Every accident must be
reported at once, no matter who is responsible- And it's a criminal offense to leave the
scene of any accident before identifying yourself If possible get off the road. Turn off
your ignition. Commercial drivers must comply with BMCS regulations and set up reflective
triangles and flags or flares.
Stay at the scene of the
accident until someone relieves you, unless you need medical attention or go to call help.
The professional driver should set an example by his behavior at the accident scene. He
should be calm and businesslike.
Call the police and your
home office immediately. Get the license numbers of all vehicles involved and the names
and addresses of all drivers and passengers. If there's been any property damage, note the
name and address of the owner or owners. List the companies that insure the property and
vehicles. Include the names and addresses of anyone at the scene, whether they actually
saw the accident or not. ever argue. People are emotionally upset at an accident and will
argue without making much sense. Arguing only prevents you from getting the facts down on
paper. If the accident involves an unattended vehicle, make a reasonable search for the
owner. If he can't be found, leave a note in a conspicuous place so he can notify you.
Inform the police and ask if they want you to remain at the scene or not.
Never move any of the victims unless it's
absolutely necessary to get them away from fire or danger from passing traffic. You can
easily make their condition worse, especially if they have internal injuries. Call a
doctor or see that one is called immediately. If you know how, give first aid, but don't
try it unless you know what you're doing. Try to stop bleeding by wrapping some material
in the form of a compress.
If it's essential to drag people out of
the wreckage, make sure there's nothing to hinder moving them. If wreckage has to be
lifted from a victim, be sure there are enough people to do the lifting so nothing is
dropped again on the person caught under it. Don't move a corpse until it's been examined
by authorities. If people gather around, help keep them away from the victims. Make sure
they don't remove or destroy any of the evidence such as skid marks and parts of vehicles.
Keep everyone away from spilled gasoline. A careless cigarette can turn a minor accident
into a major one.
Take pictures if you have
a camera. Take photos from different angles including the directions from which the
vehicles approached the accident scene.
As soon as there's time1
write an account of the accident as it looked to you Fill out all required local
forms and insurance reports. Even though such reports may seem like a burden at the time,
remember that your description can be the basis for preventing such accidents in the
future.
Above all be thoroughly
familiar with your company's policies and procedures in regard to accidents and follow
them to the letter.
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5. WHO
GOT HURT? The Employee, the Foreman, the Superintendent, The Company
A fatal injury occurred recently on a work site located near one of our members major
contracts. When first reports of the accident reached the public our office was deluged
with calls from news media and others requesting information about the incident So, even
though we were not involved, we got hurt a little because the calls tied up our phones and
interrupted our people's work.
It appears that the
answer to the stock question, "Who got hurt?" can be answered in one word:
"Everybody." Let's consider all the people who suffer a loss of one kind or
another when an accident occurs.
First of all, there is
the employee who had the accident. Even if he is not injured, his work has been delayed,
his ability to satisfactorily perform his work has been placed in doubt, and he has
suffered the annoyance of having his plans suddenly changed by an undesirable event.
If he is injured, his loss will include
some or all of the following: pain, discomfort, disability, loss of earnings, loss of
physical ability to continue in his craft, total disability or even his life. There is no
doubt that he got hurt.
Second, let's consider
the foreman. He is expected to get a reasonable amount of work with the manpower under his
supervision. Anything which injures or delays one of his men, damages the material or
equipment involved or interrupts the orderly accomplishment of the job, reflects
unfavorably on his ability to control and direct the work for which he is responsible.
Accidents certainly hurt him.
Suppose we consider the superintendent
next. He is charged with completing a specific assignment by a designated date at an
established cost. Each incident which delays the construction, damages the material or
equipment, injures a workman, or prevents the efficient supervision of the work being
performed, also damages his reputation as a manager He got hurt too!
What about the loss
suffered by our company? Every accident which occurs on a job reflects a shadow of doubt
on our ability to engineer and construct a facility, to provide capable supervision, to
attract a capable work force, and to fulfill a contract. The reputation of our company is
hurt by our failure to prevent accidents.
Other areas for
consideration are the loss suffered by the customer when completion of the contract is
delayed, the additional insurance cost which the construction industry must pay, and even
the welfare loss imposed on the public.
We are proud of our
improved injury experience. That is why we insist on the orderly application of our
program for accident prevention measures. That is why we are continually working to
improve the skills of our supervisors. That is why we are soliciting your cooperation.
Wherever you fit into the picture, we
don't want you to get hurt!
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