Leon Bosman - Health and safety

Question 1

Name three (3) basic causes of workplace accidents.

Answer 1

• Chance occurrences; (“Freak accidents” –beyond control of employee and employer)
• Unsafe conditions
• Unsafe acts

Question 2

What are the 3 “E”s of safety to prevent accidents?

Answer 2

• Engineering (i.e. designing safe working conditions!)
• Education (i.e proper safety training)
• Enforcement of safety rules (i.e. exemplary behaviour and management commitment, together with discipline)

Question 3

What are the direct costs when it comes to health and safety?

Answer 3

Insurance

Question 4

What are the indirect costs when it comes to health and safety?

Answer 4

• Transportation costs
• Wages paid to injured worker for time not worked
• Cost due to delay because of accident
• Costs of overtime because of accident
• Loss of efficiency of crew
• Cost to train replacement workers
• Costs for clean-up, repair or replacement
• Extra wage costs, slower returned worker
• Costs to reschedule work
• Costs of wages for supervision as a result of the accidents
• Costs for safety and clerical personnel as a result of the accident
• OSHA and civil fines
• Cost of legal assistance
• Other costs