Topic area 1: Introduction to health and safety in industry

Health & safety management lecturing resource for quarrying related degree courses

Estimated Duration: 1 Hour

1. Basic definitions –

Accident – undesired circumstances which give rise to ill-health or injury, damage to property, plant, products or the environment; production losses or increased liabilities.
Incident – undesired circumstances and ‘near misses’ which could cause accidents.
Ill health – Acute and chronic ill health caused by physical, chemical or biological agents as well as adverse effects on mental health.
Hazard – The potential to cause harm. Harm including ill-health and injury, damage to property, plant, products or the environment, production losses or increased liabilities.
Risk – the likelihood that a specified undesired event will occur due to the realisation of a hazard by, or during work activities or by the products and services created by work.
Safety – the ‘control of accidental loss’.

2 Reasons for preventing accidents/incidents:

Moral – No-one comes to work to get injured;
Cost – Hidden costs and the ‘iceberg’ concept.
Legal. – duties under the Health & Safety at Work Act, 1974 and associated Regulations

3 Accident statistics and trends