DUW1012 - OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY & HEALTH

TOPIC 3 – INCIDENT PREVENTION

Presented by :
AZHANI BINTI ARIFFIN
Msc. Civil Engineering (Construction) UiTM
ACCIDENT VS INCIDENT

• Accident and incident are two different words that are often
confused and used interchangeably, however, these words are
different from each other and have different implications.

• The word accident has a negative implication and could

result in loss of life, or damage to goods. It means mishap, an
unforeseen event or an unplanned circumstance that occur,
with a most common negative outcome. The word has also
been started to use in positive manner, where something that
happens unexpectedly can also lead to go things.
 ACCIDENT
The word ‘accident’ is defined by Merriam Webster as:
• an unforeseen and unplanned event or circumstance
• lack of intention or necessity: chance
• an unfortunate event resulting especially from carelessness or ignorance
• an unexpected and medically important bodily event especially when injurious
• an unexpected happening causing loss or injury which is not due to any fault or
misconduct on the part of the person injured but for which legal relief may be
sought

Examples:
• There was huge accident, which cost many lives on the bridge.
• Mike was injured in an accident at work.
• I accidently lost my keys.
• Running into Molly was a happy accident. (Positive implication)
INCIDENT

• An incident on the other hand can refer to any even

that happens; it could be positive or negative.
• In many times, incident is often interchanged with
accident, if it has a most positive implication.
• It is used to describe any incidents in general.
Incidents usually have adjectives before the word,
in order to explain the type of incident it is.
 INCIDENT
The word ‘incident’ is defined as:
• something dependent on or subordinate to something else of greater or
principal importance
• an occurrence of an action or situation that is a separate unit of experience:
happening
• an accompanying minor occurrence or condition
• an action likely to lead to grave consequences especially in diplomatic
matters

Examples:
• Two people were shot yesterday in two separate incidents.
• Many such incidents go unreported.
• Mary was shaken by the incident.
• The bombing caused an international incident.
ACCIDENT VS INCIDENT

• In this manner, every accident can be an incident as

incidents can have both a positive as well as a
negative implication. However not all incidents can
be termed as an accident.

• Key Difference: The word accident has a negative

implication and could result in loss of life, or
damage to goods. An incident on the other hand
can refer to any even that happens; it could be
positive or negative.
Accident prevention
1. If possible, avoid a risk altogether by eliminating the
hazard
2. Tackle the risk at source
3. Adapt work to the individual when designing work
areas and selecting methods of work
4. Use technology to improve conditions
5. Give priority to protection for the whole workplace
rather than to individuals
6. Ensure everyone understands what they have to do
be safe and healthy at work
7. Make sure health and safety management is
accepted by everyone, and that it applies to all
aspects of the organization’s activities
What cause accident?

Unsafe acts
• Working without authority
• Failure to warn others of danger
• Leaving equipment in a dangerous conditions
• Using equipment wrongly
• Remove safety devices e.g. guards rail
• Using defective equipment
• Failure to use PPE
• Etc…..
What cause accident?

Unsafe conditions
• Inadequate guards to moving machines
• Missing platform guardrails
• Fire hazards
• Hazardous atmospherics conditions
• Insufficient lighting
• Etc……
Costs of accidents

• Accident can generate a cost which can be

divided into; direct and indirect costs of
accidents
• E.g. cost of industrial accidents:
– In Malaysia ~ approx. RM 4 billion [1995]
– UK ~ 18 billions pounds [1995]
– US ~ 150 USD [1994]
Direct Costs of accidents

• Direct Cost
– Cost that are directly attributed to or associated
with injuries (Hinze, 1997)
– Usually covered by workers’ compensation
insurance policies (cost of ambulance service, medical &
ancillary treatment, hospitalization, and disability benefits,
including lost wages to injured workers)
Indirect Costs of accidents

• Indirect Costs

– Costs that are hidden, or for which there is no

retrieval mechanism to accurately associate the
accident with injuries (Hinze, 1997)
Examples of indirect costs
• Help the injured and give first aid
• Clean up
• Reschedule production
• Repair or test equipment or check for faults
• Investigate the accident and prepare reports
• Deal with outside agencies
• Changes that have to made to equipment, safety
devices or procedures
• Hiring in temporary equipment
• Disposing of waste
• Fines from DOSH
• Etc……
“Excellence is an art won by
training and habituation.
We are what we repeatedly
do. Excellence, then, is not
an act, but a habit”

Aristotle
Question & Answer