A workplace accident is a sudden and unexpected accident caused by external factors due

to which the employee suffers injuries. The safety in workplace is one of the most essential
issues that cannot be taken simply. Because even it only slight accident, it may cause serious and
huge effect to the organization especially within the workplace involved machinery handling
including of prime movers, trucks, forklifts and cranes that is very much connected with the
issue of safety and health awareness. In an effort to encourage the development of safety and
healthy workplace, the issue is important as it is one of the important functions for the
organization and workers to perform their daily operation and task safely and correctly. Workers
that have high level of safety and health awareness are able to perform their work effectively and
efficiently, where it probably could prevent accidents from occurred at the workplace. The
workplace accident happening during the daily operations results in no win situation. So, when
accident occurs, it could always be promptly reported to the office of Safety and Health to make
sure that immediate action could be taken by the organization. Further inspection might be
conducted to identify the factors causing the accident and the way on how to prevent it from
happening in the future. An employee also encouraged to report any near miss injuries or
accidents either to their supervisors or Safety and Health Office. Nowadays, workplace accident
became worst and known to be a major troubled to the organization involved. This kind of
problem also well-known faced by the industry’s workers that include in the machinery handling
operation like the use of cranes, trucks, prime movers, and forklifts in conducting its operations
and deliver its services. Its need to be seriously address and promptly observed as it may affect
the organization in term of high cost to repair the machinery, lead to the company’s bad
reputation, and also cost for medical treatment for workers that involved in accident. Prior to
striving an identification of the solution for workplace accident, it is important to better
understand what the elements are or factors that cause workplace accident first. There is several
examples of workplace accidents. Falling from heights is one of workplace accidents. Falling
from a height often results in fatal or life-changing injuries, which can cause emotional distress
and financial strains. Employers have a duty to ensure the safety when working at a height,
which includes providing the proper equipment and training, strong and sturdy scaffolding and
workplace free of slipping and tripping hazards. Additionally, the employer needs to ensure that
the workplace is free from falling hazards, that all materials and equipment are maintained
regularly and in good condition, and that the workplace has no wall openings or unprotected
sides. Then, industry deafness also one of workplace accidents. In 2005, the Control of Noise at
Work Regulation was introduced to ensure workers are protected from high levels of noise. The
employer is legally required to provide adequate ear protection equipment and training for noises
louder than 80dB that cannot be avoided. Exposure to high noise levels can cause several
temporary or permanent symptoms which is complete lack of hearing on one or both ears,
acoustic trauma (quick type of deafness due to extremely loud noises at close range) and tinnitus
(constant ticking, buzzing, hissing, or ringing noises). The amount of compensation that can be
awarded will depend on whether they have tinnitus or not, the level of hearing loss, if now have a
disability, and if need treatment or hearing aids. Besides that, another workplace accidents is
slips, trips, and falls. Extremely common, slips, trips, and falls can occur when the workplace
environment has not been properly assessed for risks. Safety guidelines need to be followed to
ensure that there are no debris or spills that can cause a slip and fall. The wet floors, loose mats,
poor flooring are tend to be the major culprits of these accidents at work alongside tripping over
debris. Reaction injuries can also be present as try to catch from falling. A few common injuries
from slipping, tripping, and falling are sprains, strains, fractures, dislocations and concussion.
Lastly, overexertion injuries also one of workplace accidents. Pulling, lifting, pushing, holding,
carrying and throwing activities are the most common causes of job-related injuries.
Overexertion injuries may occur in a single incident. They can also be cumulative, or the result
of years of engaging in the same strenuous activity on a daily basis. A worker who slips or trips
without falling can also injure muscles, tendons or ligaments. Overexertion can lead to lasting
physical harm, ranging from lower-back injuries to chronic joint pain caused by wear and tear.
To avoid overexertion, employers should train workers on how to properly perform physical
tasks like heavy lifting. They should also provide assistive equipment and give workers ample
break time. As with external overexertion hazards, workers should be trained, provided assistive
and protective gear and allowed breaks. Hazards like slippery, cluttered or uneven surfaces
should be promptly cleaned or labeled.

There are few main causes of workplace accidents. First of all is human errors. A major
part of the industrial accidents that occur every year are a result of human error. Many of these
accidents are a result of the worker failing to follow the safety procedures that have been put into
place by the company where he or she works. As of 2009, a majority of industrial injuries
(74.8%) happened in the service-related industry, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
When the proper equipment is not used by personnel, accidents can happen. Many injuries
happen when personnel attempt to use inappropriate tools to work on equipment. This can
damage the machines and create a safety hazard. Other than that, physical and mental stress are
less commonly recognized workplace hazards, but they can cause serious or even fatal accidents.
Employees must be in the right mindset and physically sound for the job. Working in a factory or
industry setting can put you at an enhanced risk for serious injuries due to stress. Additionally,
improper maintenance also one of main causes of workplace accidents. A common reason that
workplace accidents occur is the improper maintenance of equipment. Regular maintenance at
scheduled intervals following the manufacturer’s suggestions is important for ensuring that the
equipment runs smoothly and safely. When a piece of equipment is not properly maintained, it
can malfunction and ultimately fail. This can result in dire consequences for the personnel who
are operating and working around the machine. If the equipment that the employees work with
daily is not maintained correctly, it is only a matter of time before disaster strikes. Items like
forklifts and even overhead cranes require a lot of maintenance to stay functional and safe. Then,
another main causes of workplace accidents is improper training. Imperfectly trained employees
are a danger to themselves and those who they are working with, and this is not because they
choose to be or act in a willfully negligent manner. When personnel are not trained properly or
adequately, industrial accidents are more likely to occur. Workers should be taught how to
operate the equipment in the way it was designed to be used. They could also learn to employ
correct safety procedures when they are handling the equipment. Employees should be well
versed in what to do if something goes wrong so that they can work to correct the problem
quickly before it gets out of control. In 2009, 4.3 out of every 100 workers in the manufacturing
industry were involved in industrial accidents. A majority of these accidents occurred as a result
of improper training of personnel. Lastly, the design of workplace is one of the crucial parts in
avoiding accident in the workplace. This means that irregular workplace layout, the absence of
safety features, improper communication among the staffs involved, and inability of the
supervisors to give clear explanation of the layout, might cause problems to the workers in
operating their machinery or transport smoothly. As such these deliberation assumed to be
among the critical elements that contribute to the workplace accidents. Effective design and
layout of workplace can get rid of some workplace hazards and help get a job done safely and
properly. Poor design and layout can frequently furnish to accidents by hiding hazards that cause
injuries. In situation when accident frequency rates are very rare, there is a tendency where
workers might be complacent and their awareness of the potential accident are underrated
(Shannon et. Al 1997).

Nowadays organizations take a serious view of workplace accidents. This is because

workplace accidents have negative implications on organizations, which in turn reduce their
competitiveness in the marketplace. Operational costs is the main effects of workplace accidents.
When the accident rate increases, accident prevention programmes must be implemented and
these programmes may add substantial amounts to the overall costs. All these costs can be
avoided if only accidents can be prevented. This can be achieved by inculcating a safe work
culture. That means education, training and adhering to safety procedures. Ultimately, the
management is responsible for creating a safe and healthy work environment. Accident costs
include the medical costs of workers who are injured in the accident, cost of insurance premiums
which must be borne by the organization, cost of the accident investigation, cost due to the
absence of workers who are affected by the accidents, cost of productivity loss and the cost of
training workers to replace the workers who have been incapacitated by the accident. Besides
that, another main effects of workplace accidents is legal costs. When an accident occurs at the
workplace, enforcement agencies such as the Occupational Safety and Health Department, the
Department of Environment and the Fire and Rescue Department will conduct an investigation
into why the accident happened and what could be done to prevent a recurrence. If any existing
law has been violated, the organization will be sued. The penalty imposed might be in the form
of summons, an order to close the premises, or worse still, an order to cease operations
altogether. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994, both parties which are the
employer and the employee jointly responsible for ensuring that safe work methods are being
practiced. It is very important for both parties to understand and fulfil their responsibilities as
stated in the Act in order to reduce the adverse effects of workplace accidents. Then, motivating
workers is the one of main effects of workplace accidents. Implementing occupational safety and
health aspects at the workplace can be a motivating factor for workers. Workers who work in a
safe and conducive environment will feel happy and be motivated to perform their tasks more
effectively and efficiently. Such an environment will also encourage workers to be more
committed. Furthermore, the other main effects of workplace accidents is boosting
organizational image. When the rate of workplace accident is low, workers will feel safe. This in
turn will boost the image of the organization among the public and attract more job seekers. A
good corporate image will be a major selling point to win over potential employees, thereby
cutting down on the tedious process of recruitment and worker selection. Besides, a reputable
organization will be able to hire more appropriate and more qualified candidates who may come
forward on their own to apply for jobs. In addition, the surrounding community will respect and
support the efforts of the organization to improve its work safety and health standards. In the
long run, goods produced or services rendered by the organization will be of high quality,
regardless for the local or international market.

While there are specific safety requirements for individual industries, which employers
need to meet, there are often human errors that fall through the cracks simply because they are
overlooked. Workers and employers rush to finalize deadlines and may not pay as close attention
as they should. In other cases, there may be hazards that an employer or managers are not aware
of in their workplace. They should put safety at the forefront. There is some suggestions for
preventing or reducing workplace accidents. Firstly, the workers and employers should keep
workspace clean. Most people do not think of cleanliness as a deterrent to accidents but
workplace order actually does diminish the chance of injury. A cluttered, unclean work area is
more difficult to efficiently maneuver in and workers are more prone to hazards. Make sure the
staff adhere to something as simple as running computer cables and cords properly so that they
do not create a tripping hazard. No matter if their work environment is a manufacturing
warehouse or an office cubicle, keeping the area clean and well-maintained decreases the chance
of accidents. Further, employees should conduct emergency drills. Emergency drills are an
important tool for ensuring the safety of employees. Safety drills help employees to learn how to
manage emergencies without confusion and uncertainties. For example, in case of a fire,
employees should know how to move in an orderly fashion towards the nearest fire exits.
Employees could ensure everybody participates and pays attention to the drills. Additionally,
employees should eliminate the shortcuts. Sometimes, shortcuts can be lifesavers, especially on a
tight deadline. However, they can also be dangerous and result in a serious injury. Do not allow
the employees to use shortcuts when it comes to safety. Instead, it is better they follow the safety
guidelines and instructions to do the job right. If they cannot finish a specific job before the day
ends, allow them to finalize the job the next day. A health and safety of person is always more
important than missing a deadline. Lastly, employers should provide proper security equipment
to their employees. Providing their employees with proper personal protective equipment (PPE)
helps to reduce accidents. Equipment such as protective eyewear, safety gloves, and secured
shelving units are essential. The equipment makes it easy for employees to handle bulky and
heavy loads and reduces their chances of getting injured. In brief, workplace hazards can crop up
at any time. While sometimes may be unavoidable, so they can take steps now to protect
employees, their self and their business from such tragedies. Employees must ensure safety
measures is a priority in their workplace so that they can enjoy good health, job productivity, and
satisfaction.

In conclusion, accidents in the workplace occur for a number of reasons. It may results a
minimal or disastrous, causing minor injury, damage to equipment or even in some cases, major
injury or death. Employees need to stay alert and aware at all times to prevent accidents, while
managers need to know the most common causes for workplace accidents and be able to identify
the risk factors early to prevent it. A conducive and competitive working environment may help
the workplace to run their daily operation smoothly, thus achieve their goals successfully. The
creation of safe and sound workplace is not the responsibility of the employer only. Employees
also have to take a part in order to keep their workplace free from any degree of risks and
hazards. Therefore, most of the common accidents at workplace should be prevent with the
cooperation from both employers and employees considering it as their responsibility to prevent
accidents at their work place. Employers are required to perform risk assessment for possible
accidents that should happen and adapt necessary methods to prevent accidents in the health and
safety procedures practiced by them. Employees then must strictly follow the health and safety
measures adapted by their employers and help to avoid accidents at workplace to ensure that they
can run the operation effectively and efficiently.
References

1. Shannon, H.S., Mayr, J., and Haines, T., (1997). Overview of the relationship between
Organizational and Workplace factors and Injury Rates, Safety Science, Vol. 26, No.3,
pp. 201-217.
2. Emma Voss. (2019, Oct 19). Common Workplace Accidents and How to Prevent Them.
Retrieved from https://ehsdailyadvisor.blr.com/2019/10/common-workplace-accidents-
and-how-to-prevent-them/
3. Fergal Lynch. (2019, Dec 11). What Are The Main Causes Of Accidents In The
Workplace? Retrieved from https://www.chill.ie/blog/what-are-the-main-causes-of-
accidents-in-the-workplace/
4. Tom Reddon. 8 Common Causes of Workplace Accidents. Retrieved from
https://www.reliableplant.com/Read/30411/workplace-accidents-causes