Unsafe / Unhealthy

Acts and Conditions

Session Objectives:
At the end of the session, the participants will be able
to:
 Define work accidents;
 Discuss the accident theory and the
different effects of work accidents;

 Discuss the basic immediate causes of work

accidents;
Session Objectives:
At the end of the session, the participants
will be able to:
 Define and differentiate accidents,
unsafe acts and unsafe conditions;
 Identify and enumerate different
situations and practices that constitute
unsafe acts and unsafe conditions
 Enumerate ways to promote safety
consciousness
Group Exercise
•Per group, write down at least ten (10) Unsafe Acts & Ten
(10) Unsafe Conditions.

•You may select your leader, and spokesperson in your group.

Then, the spokesperson shall be the facilitator of the group
during the reporting.

•Every member of the group should be given a chance to

present his/her input/s.

•Activity duration: 30 minutes (20mins for report writing &

10mins reporting)
 Background :
The WORK SYSTEM
People

Environment Equipment

Materials
Work System
• A work system is a system in which human
participants and/or machines perform work
(processes and activities) using information,
technology, and other resources, within its area
of work to produce products/services.
• Construction projects are temporary rather
than permanent social systems or work system
that are constituted by means within or across
organizations to accomplish particular tasks
under time constraint.
 A C C I D E N T T H EO RY

People
People

Environment Equipment

Materials
Accidents are defined as unplanned, unexpected,
unforeseen and unwanted occurrences or events which
result in injuries, fatalities, loss of production or damage
to property and assets. Preventing accidents is
extremely difficult in the absence of an understanding of
the causes of accidents. Many attempts have been
made to develop a prediction theory of accident
causation, but so far none has been universally
accepted. Researchers from different fields of science
and engineering have been trying to develop a theory of
accident causation which will help to identify, isolate and
ultimately remove the factors that contribute to or cause
accidents. In this article, a brief outline of various
accident causation theories is presented, followed by a
structure of accidents.
ACCIDENT
An occurrence or event
that is:
 damage
 unexpected
 unforeseen
 injury
 unplanned  loss or
 unwanted death
Common Reasons for Accidents
Layman’s version:

• ‘Oras na niya’
• ‘Malas niya lang’
• ‘Tanga kasi’
• ‘Kasama sa trabaho’

These are not real causes - - -

only EXCUSES!
 TYPES OF ACCIDENTS

Workplace Hazards
• Fall from height (nahulog/nahulugan)
• Struck against (man in motion)
• Fall on the same level (nadulas / nadapa)
• Caught in (in running / naipit)
• Caught on (snagged / nasabit)
• Struck by (man stationary / hit by)
 • Medical
• Compensation

DIRECT COST

• Time lost from work by injured

• Loss time by fellow workers
• Damage to tools & equipment
Indirect & • Time damaged equipment is out of
service
Hidden Costs • Spoiled work
of • Loss time by supervision
• Loss of Production
Accidents • Miscellaneous - 100 other items of cost

INDIRECT COST = 5 to 8 times DIRECT COST

But, in other countries ID = 30 x DC.
 Direct Cost of Accidents

• Medical Expenses
• Equipment Damage
• Wasted Raw Materials
• Insurance Premiums
• Litigation Expenses
 Indirect Cost of Accidents
1. Injured Workers
• Lesser productivity due to interruption on day
of injury
• Loss in efficiency ; Loss of income
• 2. Other Employees
• loss productivity due to:
• work stoppage out of curiosity
• when assisting injured worker
• due to inspection
• Additional cost due to completion of added
work
 Indirect Cost of Accidents
3. Supervisors
• lost productivity :
• when assisting the injured
• due to accident inspection and investigation
• preparing reports
4. Replacement worker
• hiring or training
5. Equipment
• downtime
 Humane Aspects

• Sorrow due to loss

• Hardships and inconveniences
• Physical pain/discomfort
• Psychological problems
Accident Causation
 Accidents Always Have
Causes
• Accidents don’t “just happen”
• Accidents always
have causes
• Accidents always
can be prevented
• For every accident
reported, there are
600 near-misses
 Two Primary Causes of
Accidents
• There are two primary causes of accidents: unsafe
conditions and unsafe acts
• Unsafe conditions include defective tools or
equipment, lack of
machine guards, and
poor lighting
• Unsafe acts include
disabling safety devices
and being under the
influence on the job
 Immediate CAUSES of
accidents
• Unsafe Act
• Unsafe Condition
 Unsafe/Unhealthy
ACT Violation of commonly-accepted safe
procedures or processes
CONDITION Physical/mechanical/
environmental condition
which could have been
guarded or prevented

American National Safety Institute (ANSI)

 Unsafe / Unhealthy ACT
• A human action that departs
from a standard or written job
procedure or common practice,
safety rules, regulations, or
instructions.
• A violation of a commonly-
accepted safe procedures and
or processes.
 Factors contributing to Unsafe
Acts
Improper Attitude
• Operating Equipment without
authority
• Disregard of SOP or instructions
• Removing Safety Devices
• Using Defective equipment
• Improper/Non-use of PPEs
 Factors contributing to Unsafe
Acts
• Horseplay
• Willful intent to injure
• Working while under the influence
of alcohol or drugs
Factors contributing to Unsafe
Acts
Physical Limitations
Lack of knowledge and skills
 Can a workplace hazard
definitely lead to an accident or
an illness?

Hazard + Exposure = Accident or Illness

 Safety Accident /
Direct Contact
Hazards Injuries

Health Diseases / Exposure

Hazards Illnesses
 Factors Contributing
to Unsafe Acts

• Improper Attitude
• Physical Limitations
• Lack of Knowledge or
Skills
 Unsafe Condition

• The physical or chemical property of a

material, machine or the environment
that may result in injury to a person,
damage or destruction to property and
other losses;
• could have been guarded or prevented.
 Examples of Unsafe Conditions

• Inadequate guards/ protection

• Overloaded cable extensions
• Congestion
• Inadequate warning systems
• Fire and explosion hazards
 Examples of Unsafe Conditions

• Slippery floors
• Damaged and exposed electrical
wirings
• Excessive noise
• Radiation exposure
• Inadequate illumination/ ventilation
Can accidents be
prevented?
Education and Enforcement
• There are two ways to help keep people from
committing unsafe acts: Through safety
education and training, and enforcement
• With proper instruction, training and education,
we can reduce accidents
• When workers fail to follow the rules,
enforcement of the rules becomes necessary
 Generally…
• 98% - preventable
• 2% - non-preventable
• 88% - unsafe / unhealthy
ACTS
• 10% - unsafe/unhealthy
CONDITIONS
 OF
I O N
N T TS
V E EN
RE I D
P C C
A
• Requires the promotion of safe
behaviors and maintenance of a
safe working environment.
 Accident Reaction
– and Prevention
• It’s important that Accident Prevention is part of
reacting to an accident
• To prevent future occurrences, accidents are
usually handled in
three stages:
• Accident Response
• Accident Investigation
• Corrective Actions
 Responding to an Accident
• The first priority when responding to an
accident is to make sure other workers are
safe from harm and tending to anyone who
might have been injured
• It’s important to secure the scene after an
accident, to make sure no one else gets hurt
• It’s also important not to disturb anything that
could help in the Accident Investigation
 Investigating an Accident

• An Accident Investigation is a standard part of

following up such workplace incidents
• If you were involved in the accident, you’ll
be part of the Accident Investigation
• Even if you weren’t involved, you might
be part of the Accident Investigation
• Honesty is essential – lives could depend on it
 Taking Corrective Actions
• The final step would be to follow an
Accident Investigation with suggestions
for Corrective Actions
• Your feedback and
participation are important
• If you ever have
any questions, please ask
 Analyzing Job Safety
• You are observed informally every day
• A Job Safety Analysis is a formal observation
• There are three elements to a Job
Safety Analysis:
• Sequence of job steps
• Potential hazards
• Actions to prevent hazards
 Your Role in Safety
• It’s essential that each employee take an active role in
staying safe on the job
• This means always being aware of the consequences of
choosing to take unsafe actions
• No matter how many times you’ve done something, it’s
critical to observe each and every safety step
• You are the most important element in
working safely
Conclusion:
Both the human and the
technical factors of accident
causation should be addressed.

A comprehensive OSH program

is needed to prevent accidents
from happening.
Summary
• Accidents are caused by unsafe conditions and
by people committing unsafe acts
• Knowledge and training help keep people from
committing unsafe acts

• When an accident occurs, there will be:

• Accident Response
• Accident Investigation, and
• Corrective Actions
• You are the key to accident prevention
Reminder:

“If you don’t believe in

safety/health . . . . .
then try
accidents/illnesses.”
“It takes lesser time
to do things right
than to explain why
things go wrong.”
ANY QUESTIONS???
Thank you.