Lessons on Safety from Past Accidents

It is increasingly realised that one of the best ways to learn about safety and improve safety consciousness is by learning from past accidents. Intelligent analysis of accidents help for improved perception of potential hazards,better design of plant facilities,training of plant operation & maintenance staff,and work procedures.

Analysis of accidents shows that most of the accidents occur during starting up / shutting down of plants and during plant maintenance. Many of them cause lost time injury and property damage,and few result in health impairments and fatalities.

Large number of minor accidents or 'nearmisses' are often not documented /not studied. Nearmisses also arise out of potentially hazardous situations and if such situations are not corrected, accidents can still occur, in the near future, due to continuance of such situations.Therefore, minor incidents / nearmisses also have to be analysed, essential for ensuring safety.

Factors mainly responsible to cause accidents are: 1) Lack of knowledge and skills 2)Use of defective /improper equipment 3) Shortcuts in work procedure 4) Giving lower priority to safety (to meet production targets)

Accidents elsewhere in the industry shall be taken up for group discussion by the 'case study' method, as a teaching aid, to check whether similar potential hazards exist in present installations.Required remedial measures have to be implemented,in shortest possible time,to prevent recurrence of such / similar accidents.

Lessons on safety from past accidents shall be well documented,for future reference and training programs.