ACCIDENT ACCIDENT PREVENTIONPREVENTION

Accident PreventionAccident Prevention Information obtained from an Information obtained from an

accident investigation is used to help accident investigation is used to help prevent future accidents from prevent future accidents from happening. Accident prevention is happening. Accident prevention is also accomplished by conducting also accomplished by conducting work safety inspections, reporting work safety inspections, reporting unsafe conditions, providing training unsafe conditions, providing training and performing regular "check ups" and performing regular "check ups" on equipment and tools.on equipment and tools.

Accident Investigation Accident Investigation

An accident investigation determines An accident investigation determines how and why accidents occur. The how and why accidents occur. The investigation will lead to the cause(s) investigation will lead to the cause(s) of the accident. By eliminating one or of the accident. By eliminating one or more causes, most accidents are more causes, most accidents are preventable.preventable.

What Can You Do to Prevent What Can You Do to Prevent Accidents?Accidents?

Report Any Unsafe or Potentially Hazardous Report Any Unsafe or Potentially Hazardous Conditions to: Conditions to:

a.  Your supervisor/bossa.  Your supervisor/boss

b.  Your Environmental Health and Safety Office b.  Your Environmental Health and Safety Office

c.  Or, take care of it yourself, it could be as easy c.  Or, take care of it yourself, it could be as easy as closing a file cabinet drawer so no one trips as closing a file cabinet drawer so no one trips over it, keeping your work area clean, labeling over it, keeping your work area clean, labeling hazards in the workplace etc. hazards in the workplace etc.

Make Sure the Equipment, Tools or Make Sure the Equipment, Tools or Machines You Use Are:Machines You Use Are:

a.  In good working order a.  In good working order

b.  Have machine guards in placeb.  Have machine guards in place

c.  Are certified or maintained on a c.  Are certified or maintained on a regular basis regular basis

d.  Used properly and safely by d.  Used properly and safely by yourself and others yourself and others

Wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)Wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). a.  Know what type of PPE to wear, for example, you need . a.  Know what type of PPE to wear, for example, you need to know the proper type of glove for the work you do and to know the proper type of glove for the work you do and the materials you work with.the materials you work with.

b.  Know the proper way to wear your PPE for maximum b.  Know the proper way to wear your PPE for maximum protection.protection.

c.  Know how to take care of your PPE and perform regular c.  Know how to take care of your PPE and perform regular inspections to check for holes in gloves or protective inspections to check for holes in gloves or protective clothing, tears in respirators, chemical saturation etc. If clothing, tears in respirators, chemical saturation etc. If your job requires you to wear a respirator for protection, your job requires you to wear a respirator for protection, you need to be fit tested annually to ensure proper fit and you need to be fit tested annually to ensure proper fit and protection. protection.

Attend Annual Safety Training Attend Annual Safety Training

The Environmental Health and Safety Office provides The Environmental Health and Safety Office provides annual safety trainingannual safety training

a.Office Staffa.Office Staff

b.  Laboratory Staffb.  Laboratory Staff

c.  Clinical Staffc.  Clinical Staff

d.  Facilities Management Staff (divisions)d.  Facilities Management Staff (divisions)

Just like you know you should use more caution Just like you know you should use more caution when you are driving in the rain, you should when you are driving in the rain, you should use more caution when your work environment use more caution when your work environment changes as well. Beating deadlines, lack of changes as well. Beating deadlines, lack of sleep, being required to do something new sleep, being required to do something new with little or no training etc. All these factors with little or no training etc. All these factors can lead to an accident because of can lead to an accident because of carelessness, lack of training/knowledge or carelessness, lack of training/knowledge or rushing to get something done. We’ve all been rushing to get something done. We’ve all been there and a lot of us have had accidents there and a lot of us have had accidents because of these factors. Next time you find because of these factors. Next time you find yourself in this situation, take the time to think yourself in this situation, take the time to think about what you are doing and how you can be about what you are doing and how you can be safe so you don’t cause an accident. safe so you don’t cause an accident.

Use Caution When Your Work Environment ChangesUse Caution When Your Work Environment Changes::

Training, awareness and Training, awareness and competencecompetence

The organization shall establish and maintain The organization shall establish and maintain procedures to ensure that its employees working procedures to ensure that its employees working at each relevant function and level are aware of :at each relevant function and level are aware of :

The importance of conformance to the OH&S The importance of conformance to the OH&S policy and procedures, and to the requirements of policy and procedures, and to the requirements of the OH&S management systemthe OH&S management system

Their roles and responsibilities in achieving Their roles and responsibilities in achieving conformance to the OH&S policy and procedures conformance to the OH&S policy and procedures and to the requirements of the OH&S and to the requirements of the OH&S management system, including emergency management system, including emergency preparedness.preparedness.

The potential consequences of departure from The potential consequences of departure from specified operating procedures.specified operating procedures.

Emergency preparedness and Emergency preparedness and responseresponse

The organization shall establish and The organization shall establish and maintain plans and procedures to maintain plans and procedures to identify the potential for, and identify the potential for, and responses to, incidents and emergency responses to, incidents and emergency situations, and for preventing and situations, and for preventing and mitigating the likely illness and injury mitigating the likely illness and injury that may be associated with them.that may be associated with them.

Accidents, incidents, non-Accidents, incidents, non-conformances and corrective and conformances and corrective and

preventive actionpreventive action

The organization shall establish and The organization shall establish and maintain procedures for defining maintain procedures for defining responsibility and authority for:responsibility and authority for:

Handling and investigation of:Handling and investigation of:• AccidentsAccidents• IncidentIncident• Non-conformancesNon-conformances