Page 324 - DMGT106_MANAGING_HUMAN_ELEMENTS_AT_WORK

Managing Human Element at Work

Notes 14.4.2 Industrial Accident

The life of an industrial worker is a hazardous one. An industrial accident may be defined
as an occurrence which interferes with the orderly progress of work in an industrial
establishment’. According to the Factories Act, industrial accident is “an occurrence in an
industrial establishment causing bodily injury to a person who makes him unfit to resume
his duties in the next 48 hours.”
Causes of Accidents: Accidents are usually the result of a combination of factors. According
to safety experts there are three basic causes. These are:

1. Unsafe Conditions: Also known as ‘technical causes’. They arise when there are improper
or inadequate safety guards on machines, when mechanical or construction designs are
defective and unsafe; or when there is an absence of proper maintenance and supervision
of these devices.
2. Unsafe Acts: These acts may be the result of lack on the part of the employee or certain
bodily defects or wrong attitudes on the part of the employee.
3. Other Causes: These refer to unsafe situational and climate conditions and variations—
such as bad working conditions, rough and slippery floors, excessive glare, etc.
14.4.3 Accident Prevention
According to the National Safety Council USA, accident prevention depends on three E’s.

• Engineering—the job should be engineered for safety.
• Employees—employees should be educated in safe procedure, and
• Enforcing safety—safety rules should be properly enforced.
Accident prevention can be achieved through two basic activities:

1. Reducing unsafe conditions, i.e., removing and reducing physical hazards.
2. Reducing unsafe acts. This can be implemented through proper selection and placement
of employees, providing training to new employees in safety practices and through
persuasion and propaganda.
14.4.4 Occupational Diseases

Occupational diseases are the result of physical conditions and the presence of industrial
poisonous and non-poisonous dust in the atmosphere. Occupational diseases usually develop
over an extended period of time. They are slow and generally cumulative in their effect.
Occupational diseases are the result of constant exposure to the influence of toxic substances
of micro-organisms, of air-borne contaminants and stress-producing elements.
14.4.5 Provisions under the Factories Act, 1948
The Factories Act, 1948 provides for health safety and welfare. We explain below the relevant
sections pertaining to Health and Safety of workers:

(a) Health
The Act provides detailed instructions on cleanliness, disposal of wastage, ventilation,
lighting, over-crowding etc. The factors which influence the general health of the worker is
the working environment which tends to produce ill health. Every employer should protect
his employees against health hazards by

(i) Devoting adequate attention to working conditions.
(ii) Substituting a less toxic substance for the hazardous one.
(iii) Providing protective clothing.

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