OCCUPATIONAL ACCIDENT
“A workplace accident, also commonly known as an occupational accident, is an unforeseen event in the workplace that results in an injury, or a casualty, to an employee. It's described as a discrete event that occurs in the normal course of business, and can include events that occur on the company's premises, or off it.
A workplace accident can result in physical or mental harm (or both), including any injury, disease, or even death. Common incidents that can be regarded as workplace accidents include attacks by humans or even animals, any cases of acute poisoning, slips or falls on staircases or pavements, and accidents caused while on board any means of transportation.”
Common Types of Workplace Accidents
There are some common types of workplace accidents, as described below:
- Overexertion: This is arguably one of the most common types of workplace accidents. These accidents occur due to overexertion that often result in injuries, including strains or sprains.
- Slips or trips: Another common kind of workplace accident is when a person slips or falls, often resulting in a serious injury. Slips and falls are caused due to improper signage or in some cases, due to negligence.
- Falling objects: There's also a risk of employees sustaining injuries when something falls on them. If items are not properly secured on the shelves, it could result in injury. It's important to take steps and make sure that such accidents don't occur.
- Falls: A fall could occur when there's a safety railing or any kind of protection near an edge. It's important to ensure that employees receive proper safety training and know how to avoid accidents from falling.
The Difference Between Workplace Accidents and Incidents
It's also important to understand the difference between a workplace accident and an incident. An incident can either be a near miss or a dangerous occurrence. Think of an incident as an accident that's waiting to happen. That's why incidents must be investigated and reported, to ensure that they don't repeat.
Workplace incidents don't always result in injury; but they do provide important details that investigators can use to determine what led to the incident in the first place.
A workplace accident, as mentioned above, results in an injury or a fatality. It must be reported to the employer and they have the responsibility to further report them to the local authorities.
The organization must produce a report that specifies what led to the event, including making sure that employees and employers were abiding by the codes of practice and essential regulations.
It's also important to identify any new potential health and safety risks and take action accordingly.
Why is it Important to Record and Report a Workplace Accident?
Recording a workplace accident is very important, due to both legal and moral reasons. It is necessary for organizations to record and report accidents, especially when:
- there's an accident that results in an injury
- The accident was related to work
- It is a specified, reportable injury
It is an employer's responsibility to report any serious work-related accidents, spread of disease, or any dangerous incidents. They are required to report:
- death
- any major injuries
- any dangerous incidents like scaffolding collapses or gas leaks
- any injury that prevents employees from doing their work properly for more than three days
- any spread of disease
It's important to record and report workplace accidents for several reasons, apart from legal requirements.
Risk Assessments
Companies can conduct a thorough risk assessment after a new accident to determine what went wrong. If any of the safety measures or protocols failed, it's important to understand why.
Companies often record workplace accidents and then conduct an investigation to determine what went wrong.
If multiple incidents take place around similar circumstances, it's a clear indication that the company's proposed safety measures and risk management policies aren't effective.
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASE
“An occupational disease is a health condition or disorder (e.g., cancer, musculoskeletal disorders, post-traumatic stress, etc.) that is caused by your work environment or activities related to your work. In general, health conditions or disorders that occur among a group of people with similar occupational exposures at a higher frequency than the rest of the population are considered to be occupational diseases.”
In addition, the International Labour Organization (ILO) has a list of occupational diseases.
In line with the EU Strategic Framework on Safety and Health at Work 2014-2020, one of EU‑OSHA’s priorities is to support the prevention of work-related diseases. The aim is not only to improve the lives of individual workers, but also to minimise the costs of work-related illnesses and deaths.
The number of workplace accidents has decreased by 25% over the last 10 years. However, work-related diseases still account for an estimated 2.4 million deaths worldwide each year, 200,000 of which are in Europe.
EU-OSHA’s work on work-related diseases aims to provide an evidence base for prevention, policy and practice. Another important objective is to provide a better overview of the extent of the occupational burden of disease.
Work-related diseases include:
Current projects
EU-OSHA launched an overview project in 2015 which covers three areas of research, policy and practice on work-related diseases:
Definitions and regulations
A ‘work-related disease’ is any illness caused or made worse by workplace factors.This includes many diseases that have more complex causes, involving a combination of occupational and non-work-related factors.
An ‘occupational disease’ is any disease caused primarily by exposure at work to a physical, organisational, chemical or biological risk factor or to a combination of these factors. Occupational diseases are mostly those listed in national legislation as resulting from exposure to risk factors at work.The recognition of an occupational disease may be linked to compensation if it is clear that there is a causal relationship between an occupational exposure and the disease.
The European schedule of occupational diseases provides recommendations on which occupational diseases should be included in Member States’ national lists. It also makes recommendations on introducing rules for compensation, prevention and statistical data collection.
Guidance documents at the EU level and at national level define the diagnostic and exposure criteria for recognising a work-related disease as a listed occupational disease. Additional criteria apply for compensation, mostly linked to minimum degrees of injury or of work incapacity. Many Member States publish data on recognised occupational diseases in annual reports, for example on the state of occupational safety and health.
What causes diseases at work?
Many types of disease, including cancer, respiratory disorders, cardiovascular disease, skin diseases, musculoskeletal disorders and mental health problems, can be caused or made worse by work. Although the underlying causes of such diseases may be complex, certain workplace exposures are known to contribute to the development or progression of a disease, including:
It is important to monitor closely the risks associated with such exposures and their combination with each other and with changing patterns of work.
Raising awareness and promoting prevention
Good practices at enterprise level include promoting a culture of risk prevention and well-being in the workplace. It is also vital that enterprises assess and manage risks and respect the hierarchy of prevention.
Other good ways to reduce the occurrence of work-related diseases are by using proactive monitoring to prevent ill health and by fostering a healthier workplace through workplace health promotion activities.