Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
21
AnalyzingAccidentData
IntroductIon
The.importance.of.monitoring.and.tracking.the.overall.safety.and.health.efforts.of.
companies.cannot.be.overstated..If.companies.do.not.keep.records.on.all.aspects.of.
their.accident.prevention.efforts,.they.will.not.have.the.information.needed.to.obtain.
continuous.funding.for.accident.prevention.or.justiication.of.its.performance.value..
Those.companies.will.not.be.able.to.explain.where.budget.dollars.were.expended,.
nor. will. they. have. a. way. to. assess. the. loss. control. progress. within. the. company..
The.data.for.comparing.companys'.performance.regarding.trends.and.tendencies.of.
occupational.injuries.and.illnesses.occurring.in.other.companies.or.nationally.come.
from.the.records.being.kept.by.individual.companies.
Tracking. should. not. just. be. a. count. of. recordable. incidents.. Companies. should.
track.near-misses,.equipment.damage,.and.irst-aid.events.
Tracking.means.that.company.oficials.must.pay.close.attention.to.workers'.com-
pensation.cases.as.well.as.their.associated.costs..The.longer.an.individual.is.off.the.
job,.the.more.the.cost.and.the.greater.the.likelihood.that.the.worker.will.not.return.
to.work.
oshA recordkeePIng
As. part. of. the. tracking. process,. a. company. must. comply. with. the. Occupational.
Safety. and. Health. Administration's. (OSHA's). recordkeeping. requirements. for.
occupational.injuries.and.illnesses..Any.occupational.illness.that.has.resulted.in.an.
.abnormal.condition.or.disorder.caused.by.exposure.to.environmental.factors,.which.
may.be.acute.or.chronic.due.to.inhalation,.absorption,.ingestion.or.direct.contact.
with.toxic.substances.or.harmful.agents,.and.any.repetitive.motion.injury.is.to.be.
classiied.as.an.illness..All.illnesses.are.recordable,.regardless.of.severity..Injuries.
are.recordable.when
.
1.. An.on-the-job.death.occurs.(regardless.of.length.of.time.between.injury.and.
death).
.
2.. One.or.more.lost.workdays.occur.
.
3.. Restriction.of.work.or.motion.transpires.
.
4.. Loss.of.consciousness.occurs.
.
5.. The.worker.is.transferred.to.another.job.
.
6.. The.worker.receives.medical.treatment.beyond.irst.aid.
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