Accident Reporting and investigation

There must both external and internal reporting systems for accidents. While the purpose of external reporting is to comply with statutory obligation under different legislations, the objective of internal reporting it to achieve continual improvement. Accordingly, the internal should cover all incidents whether or not injury is caused. Further all incidents should be investigated analyzed and recorded. Even for external reporting types of dangerous occurs are required to be reported statutorily.

Applicable statutes/ salient features/provisions of the statutes

THE FACTORIES ACT , 1948 & THE MODEL RULES 

Section 88 & 88A and model Rule 121 require:

o   A report in proscribed format to be sent to the inspector for every accident causing disability for 48 hrs. Or more with 24 hrs. after expiry of the 48 hrs. of disability period .

o   A Notice is to be  sent forthwith to the inspector, Chief Inspector, District Magistrate , nearest Police Station and relatives of the injured person, for every fatal or likely to be fatal accident. This notice must be conformed within 12 hrs to the authorities by sending a report in prescribed format: if death occurs after sending the notice, within 12 hrs of the death

o   A notice is to be sent forthwith and confirmed by sending a report in prescribed format within 12 hrs. to the authorities in respect of a dangerous occurrence of specified nature.

THE BUILDING AND OTHER CONSTRUCTIONS WORKERS (REGULATION OF EMPLOYMENT & CONDITIONS OF SERVICE) ACT, 1996 & CENTRAL RULES 1998 

o   Section 39. and Rule 210.: Provisions are similar to those in the Factories Act & Rules.

THE EMPLOYEES’STATE INSURANCE (GENERAL) REGULATIONS, 1950  

 Regulation 65. Notice of accident. — (i) Every employee who sustains personal injury caused by accident arising out of and in the course of his employment in a factory or establishment shall give notice of such injury either in writing or orally, as soon as practicable after the happening of the accident :

Provided that any such notice required to be given by an employee person may be given by some other person acting on his behalf.

Regulation 68. Report of accident by an employer. — Every employer shall send a report in Form 12 to the appropriate Branch Office and to the Insurance Medical Officer of the insured person

THE ELECTRICITY ACT, 2003.

 Section  161 Notice of accidents and inquiries.(1) If any accident occurs in connection with the generation, transmission, distribution, supply or use of electricity in or in connection with, any part of the electric lines or electrical plant of any person and the accident results or is likely to  have resulted in loss of human or animal life or in any injury to a human being or an animal, such person shall give notice of the occurrence and of any such loss or injury actually caused by the accident, in such form and within such time as may be prescribed, to the Electrical Inspector or such other person as aforesaid and to such other authorities as the Appropriate Government may by general or special order, direct.

THE EXPLOSIVE ACT 2008 AND RULE, 

  131. Notice of accident. The notice of an accident required to be given under section 8 of the Act shall be given within twenty four hours of the happening of the accident by telephone, telegram, E-mail, fax or in any other electronic mode or by special messenger followed by a written report signed by the occupier or authorised person to the same authorities giving particulars of circumstances leading o accident, loss of human life, injury to persons, damage to property, emergency action taken etc, to the— (a) Chief Controller; (b) Controller in whose jurisdiction accident has taken place; (c) District Magistrate; and (d) Officer-in-charge of the nearest police station.

THE GAS CYLINDER RULE ,2004

 67. Notice of accidents: (1) The notice of an accident required to be given under sub-section (1) of section 8 of the Act shall be given forthwith — (a) to the Chief Controller or Controller under whose jurisdiction the area falls by Fax, E-mail or telegram (Telegraphic Address – Explosives, Nagpur, E-mail explosives@explosives.gov.in ) followed by a letter giving particulars of the occurrence within 24 hours;

THE STATIC AND MOBILE PRESSURE VESSELS (UNFIRED) RULES 1981

 66. Notice of accident.—The notice of an accident required to be given under sub-section (1) of Section 8 of the Act shall be given forthwith – (i) to the Chief Controller by express telegram (telegraphic Address - Explosives, Nagpur) followed within twenty-four hours by a letter giving particulars of the occurrence

THE PETROLEUM ACT 1934 & RULE 2002

 Rule 200. Notice of Accident. (1) The notice of an accident required to be given under section 27 of the Act shall be given forthwith- (a) to the Chief Controller by telephone/fax and also by telegram [telegraphic address- ‘Explosive Nagpur’] followed within 24 hours by a letter giving particulars of the occurrence; and (b) to the officer-in-charge of the nearest police station by the quickest means of communication.

MSIHC  RULES 1989 (FRAMED UNDER THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ACT, 1986) RULE 

Rule 5 A notice of major accident is to be given to CIF in case of a factory and to the state pollution control Board in case of isolated storage within 48 hrs of the occuranc, followed by a report in prescribed format (schedule 6 ) After investigation

MOTOR VEHICLES ACT, 1988 

Section 134 Report of accident involving a motor vehicle causing person injury or property damage is to be made by the driver (includes owner) to the nearest police station as soon as possible (maximum within 24 hrs.) and written report about the occurrence with prescribed details is to the insurer.

NATIONAL STANDARDS 

IS 18001 :2000  OHS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM SPECIFICATION WITH GUIDANCE 

Clause 4.4.2.2 The organization shall establish and maintain documented procedures for relevant and timely reporting of information required for monitoring and continual improvement of OH&S performance.

Internal reporting procedures shall be established to cover:

a) Incident occurring reporting;

b) Non-conformance reporting;

c) Health and safety performance reporting; and

d) Hazard identification reporting.

External reporting procedures shall be established to cover:

a) Statutory reporting requirements; and

b) Stakeholder reporting.

IS 14489:1998 CODE OF PRACTICE ON OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH AUDIT.

Accident Reporting constitutes an exclusive Audit Element (Item  of Annex A) The Check List (Annexure C) Provides ( points (35 to 43) under the Element

MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES

Management must establish procedures for

• External reporting to relevant statutory Authorities as requires
• Internal Reporting, investigating, analyzing & recording of incidents for continual improvement
• Taking follow-up action on the findings of investigations
• Displaying Prominently safety performance / accident data (e.g. Accident rates, longest accident free period, etc.)
• Giving the resume of the safety performance in the company’s Annual Report.

INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS 

OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY & HEALTH ACT (OSHA),1970

Section 8 & 24 of OSHA & part 1904 of the regulation deal with Recording and Reporting of Occupational injuries & illness:  All cases involving fatality or multiple hospitalization are to be reported to the area Director .All reported cases, Lost work day cases & some specified non work day loss cases are to be recorded in log and an annual summery of all recorded cases is to be posted at site.  

HEALTH & SAFETY AT WORK, ACT 1974 OF UK 

Exclusive Regulations have been framed. These are similar to Indian Electricity Rules Except that reportable accident has a disability period of 3 days.

ILO

• OSH and working Environment Convection no 155 Art 11(c): The Employer must establish and apply procedures for notification of the occupational accidents & disabilities.
• Recommendation no 164 para 16 (e) : The Employer should ensure that workers report all accidents or injuries to health which arise during or in connection with work.
• Guideline on OSH Management System para 3.11.7 Specifies that performance monitoring should include identifying, reporting and investigating of work related injuries, ect.

Implementation of Lock Out Tag Out

Purpose

Scope

Actions

Responsibility

Policy Base

Supporting Documents

Promulgation

Implementation

Purpose

To reduce the risk of injury when people are working on plant or equipment by preventing the item and its components from being set in motion and preventing the accidental release of stored energy.

Scope

This procedure applies to people (staff, contractor, sub-contractor, self-employed person, student, etc), working on plant or equipment on University premises.  Where several people are working on plant or equipment, this procedure applies to every person.

Actions

Unless specified otherwise, the following actions apply to any person planning to work on an item of plant or equipment at the Factory:

• A. Shut Down the Plant / Equipment

• B. Conduct a Job Safety Analysis

• C. Isolate All Energy Sources: Lock Out / Tag Out

• D. Release All Stored or Trapped Energies

• E. Test for Effective Isolation

• F. Complete the Work

A. Shut Down the Plant / Equipment

1.  Shut down the item of plant/equipment.  Simple items can usually be shut down by a single control, such as a switch or valve.  More complex items may have to be shut down in a set sequence or by shutting down several energy sources (e.g. electricity, pneumatic, hydraulics, fuel, etc).

2.   Place a completed Out of Service Tag on the controls of every energy source. 

B. Conduct a Job Safety Analysis

1.  Identify all sources of energy associated with the item of plant/equipment and their isolation points, including ones that may be remote or hidden.  Include electricity, compressed gases, fluids under pressure, stored energy, fuels, heat, steam, gravity, radiation, etc. 

2.   Identify all other hazards, including mechanical, chemical, falls, burns, asphyxiation, and impact.

3.   If the work and the item of equipment meet all the conditions listed below, proceed with the work:

·     the item involves only one source of energy, and that energy source will be under the direct control of the worker throughout the work;

·     the work involves only one worker;

·     the worker is not working in isolation;

·     the work and item are well within the technical competencies of the worker;

·     Other safety requirements do not apply (e.g. permit-to-work).

1.   If the work or items of plant/equipment do not meet any one of the requirements in Item 3 above, record the findings on a Job Safety Analysis form and contact the Facilities Services office of the premises/campus where the work is being carried out. 

2. If there is uncertainty about any aspect of conducting a Job Safety Analysis or if further information is required (e.g. plans or diagrams), contact Facilities Services. 

3. Facilities Services will review the JSA, issue the necessary Locks and Tags, make the entries in the Lock and Tag Register, and determine the level of supervision and additional measures required. 

C. Isolate All Energy Sources: Lock Out / Tag Out

1.   Once Facilities Services have approved the JSA and have issued the necessary Locks and Tags, isolate every energy source by means of one Lock and one Danger Tag for every worker on every isolation point.  Where several workers are involved, use Safety Hasps (see Figure 1 below).  Contact Facilities Services to obtain these Hasps. 

2.   Except for simple electrical equipment connected via a plug and socket, an electrician* must isolate and disconnect all electrical supply to an item of plant/equipment.

*Note: "electrician" in this procedure means a worker who holds either of the following electrical licence:

- Disconnect/Reconnect Worker's Licence (D Licence/Restricted)

- Electrician's Licence (A Class/A/E Licence)

Figure 1 - A typical lock out / tag out set up

D. De-energise All Stored or Trapped Energies

Take any of the following steps necessary to guard against energy left in the item of plant/equipment after its energy sources have been isolated:

1.     Inspect the plant/equipment to make sure all parts have stopped moving. 

2.     Install ground wires. 

3.     Block or brace parts which could fall due to gravity. 

4.     Release the tension on springs, or block the movement of spring-driven parts. 

5.   Block parts in hydraulic and pneumatic systems that could move from the loss of pressure. 

6.     Relieve trapped or stored pressure.  Bleed the lines and leave vent valves open. 

7.   Drain process piping systems and close valves to prevent the flow of hazardous material. 

8.     If a pipe must be blocked where there is no valve, use a blank flange. 

9.     Purge tanks and process lines. 

10.   Dissipate extreme cold or heat, or provide protective clothing. 

11.  If stored energy can re-accumulate, monitor it to make sure it stays below hazardous levels.  

E. Test for Effective Isolation

1.  After the item of plant/equipment has been shut down, locked out and tagged out, but before any person attempts to start work on the item, test all isolated power sources.  Test first with appropriate instruments and then by trying to activate the item.  Ensure the complexity of the plant (or parts of the plant, including control stations and computers remote from the plant) is understood.  If unsure, contact Facilities Services. 

2.  Only begin work on the item of plant/equipment when tests have confirmed it is safe to do so.  

F. Complete the Work

While performing the work, monitor the condition of the item of plant/equipment throughout the work to ensure unforeseen hazards or changing conditions do not cause injury. 

On completion of the work:

1.     Return the item of plant/equipment to a safe and serviceable condition. 

2.   Ensure each worker removes his/her own Safety Lock(s) and Danger Tag(s).  Note: Only the worker who was issued with a given Lock and Danger tag can remove them.  Anything other than this strict safety rule is absolutely prohibited.  Contact Facilities Services if for any reason it is impossible to comply with this rule (e.g. lost key).

3.    Ensure the person who fitted the Out of Service Tag(s) removes it(them). 

4.    Test the equipment for correct operation.

5.    Report to Facilities Services.  Return all the items  including used tags

Responsibility

1.  The HOD – Facilities Services has ownership of this procedure and its implementation. 

2. The Manager – Risk, Health and Safety is responsible for the maintenance of this procedure. 

3. The Facilities Managers are responsible for including this procedure in contractor inductions and for ensuring that contractors/sub-contractors and Facilities Services staff complies with this procedure. 

4.  Deans/Directors are responsible for ensuring their staff and students comply with this procedure. 

5.   Specific responsibilities are included under Actions.

Supporting Documents

Job Safety Analysis (JSA)

Hazard Identification & Risk Assessment (HIRA)

Permit To work Register

Lock and Tag Register

Promulgation

This Procedure will be communicated throughout the University via:

1.    An Announcement Notice under ‘FedNews’ and through the University's Policy - ‘Recently Approved Documents’ webpage to alert the University-wide community of the approved Policy;

2.    Inclusion on the factory Policy, Procedure and Forms website; and/or

3.    Distribution of emails to Manager / Directors / staff; and/or

4.    Documentation distribution e.g. posters, brochures.

Implementation

This Procedure will be implemented throughout the Factory / Organization via:

1.      Lockout-Tag out Procedures

2.      Lockout-Tag out Training (for authorized employees and affected employees),

3.      Lockout-Tag out Policy (often referred to as a program),

4.      Lockout-Tag out Devices and Locks,

5.      Lockout-Tag out Auditing - Every 12 months, every procedure must be reviewed as well as a review of authorized employees

Lockout Tagout

Contents

The Purpose Of Lockout Tagout:

Lockout-tag out

Group lockout

Hazardous energy and its isolation

The Five Security Rules

The Purpose Of Lockout Tagout:

Imagine you had unplugged a fan from energy source by switching it off by nearest switch or circuit breaker directly for cleaning the fan's blade. Your fingers are inside the fan's cover near to its blade and someone enters in to the house and switch it on without Your acknowledgement!! Now you can understand importance of Isolation of energy and Communication to others. 

Here we will discuss about lockout tag out definition and its details that you will understand easily as per occupational safety and health administration guidelines. So welcome to the lock out Tag College. First thing is what is lock out and tag out? 

Consider a slots machine factory and you got breakdown in one of the slot machine. So what is your next action? Simply go to the slot machine and repair that? Do you know this slot machine have many forms of energy like electrical, mechanical and pneumatic energy?  I know that You have a primary insurance or electric insurance from Your company and you are expert in pneumatic engineering or whatever. But what will happen if you get an injured leg or hand? Will this electrical insurance or primary insurance return your original leg or foot? 

Lockout-tag out

Lockout-tagout (LOTO)  is a safety procedure which is used in industry and research settings to ensure that dangerous machines are properly shut off and not started up again prior to the completion of maintenance or servicing work. It requires that hazardous power sources be "isolated and rendered inoperative" before any repair procedure is started. "Lock and tag" works in conjunction with a lock usually locking the device or the power source with the hasp, and placing it in such a position that no hazardous power sources can be turned on. The procedure requires that a tag be affixed to the locked device indicating that it should not be turned on.

Group lockout

When two or more subcontractors are working on different parts of a larger overall system, the locked-out device is first secured with a folding scissors clamp that has many padlock holes capable of holding it closed. Each subcontractor applies their own padlock to the clamp. The locked-out device cannot be activated until all workers have signed off on their portion of the project and removed their padlock from the clamp.

A lock selected by color, shape or size (e.g. red padlock) is used to designate a standard safety device, locking and securing hazardous energy. No two keys or locks should ever be the same. A person's lock and tag must not be removed by anyone other than the individual who installed the lock and tag unless removal is accomplished under the direction of the employer. Employer procedures and training for such removal must have been developed, documented and incorporated into the employer energy control program.

Lockout-tag out has 5 required components to be fully compliant with OSHA law. The 5 components are: 1. Lockout-Tag out Procedures 2. Lockout-Tag out Training (for authorized employees and affected employees), 3. Lockout-Tagout Policy (often referred to as a program), 4. Lockout-Tagout Devices and Locks, 5. Lockout-Tagout Auditing - Every 12 months, every procedure must be reviewed as well as a review of authorized employees.

Hazardous energy and its isolation

Modern machinery can contain many hazards to workers, from things like electrical, mechanical, pneumatic or hydraulic sources. For example a typical industrial machine may contain things like hot fluids, moving presses, blades, propellers, electrical heaters, conveyor belts with pinch points, moving chains, ultraviolet light, etc.

Disconnecting or making safe the equipment involves the removal of all energy sources and is known as isolation. The steps necessary to isolate equipment are often documented in an isolation procedure or a lockout tagout procedure. The isolation procedure generally includes the following tasks:

1.  Identify the energy source(s)

2.  Isolate the energy source(s)

3.  Lock and Tag the energy source(s)

4.  Prove that the equipment isolation is effective

The locking and tagging of the isolation point lets others know not to de-isolate the device.

The Five Security Rules

According to the European standard EN 50110-1, the security procedure before working on electric equipment comprises the following five steps:

1.  disconnect completely;

2.  secure against re-connection;

3.  verify that the installation is dead;

4.  carry out earthing and short-circuiting; and

5.  provide protection against adjacent live parts

5 E's Safety Module

v    Engineering Application

            By the engineering application, major part of safety problem can be controlled or eliminated.  Engineering in safety begins even from blue print stage of any factory.  Potential hazards are to be considered at design stages to avoid production losses to reduce accident and to save cost on re – designs or replacement of equipment.  The participation of safety specialist form planning stage will definitely help in building a safe factory environment.  Such co – ordinates can also result in better housekeeping provisions lighting, ventilation, and flooring, built in safety guard to machines, Installation of standard electrical panel good efficient treatment method etc.

            There are six steps to be applied for safety programs involving engineering revisions.

Ø    Identification of hazards.

Ø    Substitution of hazardous or elimination of hazardous substances, operation and arrangements.

Ø    Enclosing or guarding the hazards by technical means

Ø    Isolation of hazard from normal working environment

Ø    Diluting the harmful environment

Ø    Provide personal protective equipment in the case of above fine steps could not give total safety.  This step can be adopted as an additional safety measure.

The safe physical environment may become unsafe in due course of production process when engineering applications are used to rectify.  Such a situation we have to keep in mind that unsafe situation can again come up of proper maintenance is into made at proper time and proper education for the employees s not given continuously

v    Education and Training

            Due to lack of proper knowledge many accidents occur in our daily life.  Repetitive creation of unsafe condition, exposure to physical hazards, and doing unsafe condition due to lack of knowledge, improper attitude or ignorance on the part of employees.  The employees are given necessary training even at the initial stage of appointment to an assigned job.  If the content is designed to teach an experienced employee for accommodating the changed situation, he will get more skills in his job and will do few mistakes in procedures.  For safety working specific training and education is needed for any employee.  Sometime people may forgot proper procedure or may become over confident in their job.   This also creates accidents.  Hence refreshes training courses are needed frequently.  Supervisors will be best medium for giving effective training to their subordinates.

            ­After getting proper education and training can bring vast difference in the quality of work.  Effective training may be useful in improving productivity, turnover and developing good industrial relationship.  But even today many industrial establishments don’t recognize the need of training and its importance.  Thus it is a time change the attitude and introduces the proper training to its people.  Depending upon the demand of the situation suitable training program should be selected certain individual may lead specific knowledge skill and attitude, certain individuals may need training to suit their new jobs or for improving their capabilities.

v    Enthusiasm

            When an injurious accident occurs in an industry, it is sure that everyone becomes enthusiastic about safety.  Had the same enthusiasm prevailed always in the working environment accidents can very well be avoided to a considerable extent?  Hence, a safety practitioner may have to motivate not only the employee but also the management personnel.  Rather than primary duty begins with winning the confidence of the management personal in the strategies he put forth.

            For conveying the management about the nobility and benefits of accident prevention a safety practitioner must put for the various advantages projecting the economic benefits of safety will be the most one.  Any management can easily understand the language of profit.  Benefits achieved from decreased payment in compensation, reduction ‘n’ insurance premium, and minimized manpower losses and medical expenses can be calculated easily.  The indirect financial benefits are many times higher than those of direct benefits.  These benefits shall also highlight Maslow’s theory of “Need hierarchy” explain that satisfaction is the limit of need for any human being.

            Absence of hygienic factors like salary welfare facility etc. may dissatisfy people.  But presences of this factor are not helpful in motivating anyone. 

v    Enforcement

            For achieving better performance in the field of industrial safety and management should encourage.  It’s personal to follow safety rules and procedures.  The rules formed should be simple and understandable and should be avoiding conflict of opinion.  The management should say that the rules are formed only when they are essential.  The rule should not be too much, to confusion and frustration among people. 

v    Encouragement

              Safety minded people might have many innovative ideal for improving safety in their field of work. Favorable company climate can encourage such people through proper suggestion schemes.  They may give suggestion in the area of production quantity, procedural changes and system improvement in manufacturing process, welfare facilities etc.  There can be a safety suggestion scheme along with the above scheme of company. To encourage worker of different industries government of India has formulated a national award scheme named Shram veer NationalAward or Vishwakarma National award.

           Introduction of safety incentive schemes are found to give encouraging results.  Depending upon size and safety performance of the company in company incentive scheme and interplant incentive schemes can be improvement in percentage reduction of accident or accident free period.

            Safety inventory system is another method by which the management can develop safety confidence among employees.  In this method, a well-framed question format will be prepared and circulated among a selected 30% of the employ of a section. 

Requirement of Safety

The meaning of safety is ‘Freedom from unacceptable risks’ or ‘Freedom from danger’. Safety in all Industrial  activities is a prime requisite, but is often neglected, ignored on work sites. With the enormous growth of industry and the advancement of ‘ Technology’ the need for proper attention to Safety aspects has become essential for human, social, economic and other considerations. The complex techniques with wide range of Industrial and other activities have lead to new challenges in Safety.