Accident Causes
Following the accident that occurred on January 24 in Laser Tech Inc.’s manufacturing plant, the occupational health and safety team identified various factors that directly and indirectly caused the accident.
Direct Causes
The first direct cause of the accident was the inexperience of the crane operator and the injured worker. The crane operator was not qualified to handle the hoisting apparatus, and this made him ignore the critical safety procedures that are essential when moving heavy equipment. For instance, the crane operator acknowledged that he had injured his colleague, although he insisted that the other worker should not have been in the area.
A qualified and experienced crane operator would have stopped the hoisting process and warned the worker to move out of the dangerous zone. The injured worker was also inexperienced in working in such dangerous areas because he demonstrated unawareness of the risks involved in working around hoisting cranes. The worker should have been more careful to work in the designated areas and watched out for moving equipment. The worker also had only two months of experience of working in such environments.
The second direct cause of the accident was irresponsibility by the employees involved in the accident. The injured employee revealed his irresponsibility by failing to secure the steel sheets that were being hoisted by the crane. The employee was also working outside the designated area, and this exposed him directly to the injuries he sustained. In addition, the employee missed worked and refused to acknowledge this by signing the disciplinary notice. This shows the employees’ indifference to working in Laser Tech’s plant.
Indirect Causes
The primary indirect cause of the accident was unsafe working conditions. The company’s traveling crane had remained unmaintained for a long time, and this could have made the crane defective. The crane operator also pointed out that the warning alarm did not function, and this increased the risks of working near the crane. Finally, the company violated the OSHA regulations because it did not provide the injured worker with Laser Tech’s safety regulations.
Response and Remedial Measures
After an accident, the safety personnel must offer the injured workers first aid and immediately transfer them to the hospital. The occupational health and safety manager must then record the work-related accidents to prevent the recurrence of similar accidents in the future. The manager must indicate the cause of the accident, injuries sustained, and treatment offered. According to the OSHA inspection priorities, the safety manager should also inspect looming dangers and any safety complaints raised by the employees. The managers should randomly inspect and re-inspect all activities within the factory.
The first remedial measure to implement after the accident is repairing all the alarm systems in Laser Tech Inc.’s factory or installing new ones. The second measure is conducting the evaluation and maintenance of all the equipment in the factory. The third remedial measure is to ensure that all employees are qualified for their jobs. The fourth remedial measure is to ensure that all employees have the company’s safety regulations. Finally, the company should mark the danger-prone zones in the factory and punish the employees who ignore the safety regulations.
Recommendations
To prevent more accidents within the next three months, Laser Tech Inc. should implement the following recommendations.
- Conducting frequent and regular maintenance activities to ensure that all equipment functions properly.
- The company should train all its employees on health and safety practices at work.
- Laser Tech Inc. should conduct regular risk assessments in its factory.
- The company should re-evaluate the qualifications of its employees within the factory and offer refresher courses on a regular basis.
- The company should train its employees on the appropriate procedures to follow during emergencies.