Factors contributing to incidents and

accidents at the workplace

Learning Outcome 4.1 Work Health & Safety HSC-1123

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• Dangerous Occurrence: A specified event that has to be

reported to relevant authority
• Workplace ill health: Diseases or medical conditions caused
by a person’s work.
• Accident: An unplanned, unwanted event which leads to
injury or loss.
• . Near Miss: An unplanned, unwanted event that had the
potential to lead to injury
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Accident / Incident Investigation:

1. Visit accident scene before the physical evidence is disturbed.

2. Make visual records (Sketches, Photographs, Notes, Condition of Area).

3. Determine what accident-related items should be preserved.

4. Identify the people who can help determine accident causes (witness).

5. Interview witnesses as soon as possible.

6. Document/review information of accident.

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Common FIVE W-questions to ask during accident investigation:

• WHO was involved in the accident?

• WHEN did the accident occur?

• WHERE did the accident occur?

• WHAT were the persons involved doing at that time?

• WHY did the accident happen?

impor
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FIVE factors that could cause accidents:

1. Direct factors

2. Personnel characteristics

3. Job characteristics and equipment used

4. The physical environment

5. The social environment

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1. Direct Factors:

• The employee him/herself performing a task

• The task itself
• Any equipment directly or indirectly used in the task
• Psychological factors with the employee
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2. Personnel Characteristics:

Factors affecting hazard recognition, decisions to act appropriately and the

ability to act appropriately.
• Age & Gender: younger people have more accidents (ages 15-24, mostly
young males)
• Job Experience: 70% of accidents occur within the first 3 years

• Stress, fatigue, drugs and alcohol use.

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3. Job Characteristics and Equipment Used:

• Job characteristics: such as high physical workload, high mental workload.

• Equipment: where most of the safety analysis is performed.

• Problems and hazards can occur, such as:

• Controls and Displays: poorly designed or difficult to use

• Electrical Hazards: occurs when a person is doing repairs and another

person accidently turns the circuit on

• Mechanical Hazards: results in cutting of skin, crushing, breaking

• Pressure and Toxic Substance Hazards: asphyxiates, irritants, systemic

poison, & carcinogens
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4. The Physical Environment:

• Illumination: Glare, phototropism, contrast

• Noise and Vibration: Affects control and health

• Temperature and Humidity: Heat exhaustion and restrictive clothing

• Fire Hazards: Open flames, electric sparks and hot surfaces

• Radiation Hazards: Radioactive material causes damage to human tissue

• Falls: Resulting in injury or death

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5. The Social Environment:

• Human behavior is influenced by social context:

For example: experienced clinical lab technicians who do not wear

gloves/masks while working in the lab may negatively affect the
behavior of unexperienced technicians.
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Types of Human Errors:

1. Errors of Omission: operator fails to perform a procedural step.

For Example:
- Forgetting to close the gas stove
- A radiographer forgets to protect the pelvis and lower body trunk whilst performing a chest x-ray

2. Errors of Commission: operator performs extra steps that are incorrect or performs a step
incorrectly.
For Example:
- Administering a wrong medication to the patient
- Administering the wrong dosage of a medication
- Administering medication to the wrong patient
- Performing a surgical procedure on the wrong patient
 Thank You

800 MyHCT (800 69428) www.hct.ac.ae