IMPORTANCE OF INDUSTRIAL SAFETY
Industrial Safety is very important aspect for any industry as an accident free work environment boosts the morale of the team members working in any hazardous situations. Recognising these facts industries involving various hazards and risks, industries prepare their own Industrial Safety policy, Industrial Safety manual and have a separate department/section for Industrial Safety so as to create proper awareness and provide the know-how-about the Industrial safety or work safety. Adherence to the useful information, rules, and mandatory requirements governing the Industrial safety and guidelines will help prevent occupational injuries and accidents which constitute an unavoidable and needless waste of human and material resources.
Industrial Safety means continuing and healthful living without injury. Industrial Safety is freedom from harm or the danger of harm. The word safety also refers to the precautions people take to prevent accidents, harm, danger, damage, loss and pollution in the Industry. Safety also deals with improvement in working conditions for better health. Management is responsible to provide safe working condition and individual’s safety.
All undesired events in a workplace which can give rise to death, ill health, injury, damage or other loss need to be thoroughly investigated, people are trained to safeguard against them, and need to be eliminated. Similarly, all hazards, i.e., source/situation capable of injury or ill health, damage too properly or workplace environment etc., should be identified and action plan drawn for safeguard against them.
It is not only sufficient to care of safety but other two inter-related aspects, viz., health (well-being of employees) and environment are also given equal importance and considerations. All these three elements i.e., safety, health and environment (also known as SHE) are inter-related and affect each other. For instance, if health of employee is not given due regards, it may lead to accidents.
If industry pollutes the environment around work place, it will affect health of employees which may ultimately affect production. It is only if health and environment are in control than safety can be ensured. Each industry, therefore, has certain obligations towards keeping good environment and also towards health of people.
Occupational health hazards means:
1. Conditions that cause legally compensable illness,
2. Any conditions in the workplace that impair the health of employees enough to make them lose time from work or to work at less than full efficiency.
Losses Due to Accidents in Industries:
Now-a-days, serious attention is being paid in this matter, because now it has been clearly understood that these accidents cause heavy losses. In these losses, some are direct losses and are some indirect losses.
Direct Losses:
These are the losses to the employer, which he pays to the worker for compensation. Employer also pays for medical expenses incurred on the worker. This type of losses can be measured in terms of money.
Indirect Losses:
These indirect losses arise from the following sources:
1. Loss of time of the injured person.
2. Loss of time of his fellow workers, who stop work at the time of accident to help him or to show sympathy or for curiosity.
3. Loss of time of supervisors;
(a) In assisting injured worker;
(b) In investigation and preparing a report of accident;
(c) In making alternative arrangement;
(d) In selecting and training the new worker to fill the vacancy if accident causes death of the worker.
4. Loss due to damage caused to machines.
5. Loss due to reduction in the efficiency of the worker when he returns after recovery.
6. Loss due to the reduction in the efficiency of other workers due to fall in their morale.
7. Losses to the injured worker.
Injured worker suffers the following losses:
(a) Loss to his income.
(b) Loss due to medical expenditure,
(c) Pain felt by worker, which cannot be compensated.