Topic area 1: Introduction to health and safety in industry
Estimated Duration: 1 Hour
Objectives:
- To define the basis terminology of the subject area;
- To outline the reasons for a safe and healthy workplace;
- To show the accident trends in UK industry and the UK quarrying industry.
Lecture Plan
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
- UK Industry as a whole;
- UK Industry by type of accident;
- UK Quarrying Industry as a whole;
- UK Quarrying Industry by type of accident.
Suggested Reading & Other Resources
- Bird FE and Germain GL - Practical Loss Control Leadership, Institute Press, Loganville, Georgia, 1985
- HSE - The Costs of Accidents at Work, HS(G) 96, HSE Books, 1997
- Davies MV and Teasdale P - The Costs to the British Economy of Work Accidents and Work Related Ill Health, HSE Books, 1994.
- HSC - Health and Safety at Quarries - The Quarry Regulations 1999 Approved Code of Practice, HSE Books, 1999.