Introduction: It is not only fair to say that the identification, assessment, and control of hazards are fundamental to the management of the workplace safety; it is also a legal and moral obligation for every organization to have a safe workplace. this means that in an effort to reduce accidents, consideration is given to many things such as workplace design and layout, the provision of appropriate guards and interlocks, written safety procedures, availability of personal protective equipment, appropriate signage’s and labeling, access to material safety data sheets, regular training sessions and so on.
The article is aiming to explain the causes and controls of unsafe acts and related responsibilities of the organization and individuals.
Causes of Unsafe Acts :
- Indifference:The most common cause can be categorized as the indifference.in these situations, safe methods are known but the individual simply chooses to ignore them. Examples can include such things as not using proper manual handling techniques, not obtaining a work permit, not wearing required personal protection and so on.
- Lack of knowledge:the lack of knowledge comes from many different sources including inexperience but is predominantly a result of lack of job training for performing a job, he will need to be trained, certified and authorized. The authorized use of a forklift is a common example of this.
- Poor work habits:associated with a lack of knowledge or training is poor work habits. Familiarity and repetition of a particular job task sometimes lead to the formation of poor work habits. Poor habits cannot only develop over a period of time they can also result from setting poor examples. For instance, new employees may pick up bad habits from more experienced employees.
- Lack of concentration:A lack of concentration is a common factor contributing to unsafe acts. Few examples are the pressure of work, personal problems, daydreaming, becoming involved in the conversation.
- Physical limitations:the physical limitations of individuals may be an important factor. Some examples are people with poor eyesight, impaired hearing, poor physical health or simply people, who do not have sufficient physical strength, may well be unsuited for a particular job task. People may suffer from fatigue, which is a proven contributory factor in many accidents.
- Haste, laziness, emotions –the desire to complete a given task quickly is another recognized cause of unsafe acts. Both laziness and haste frequently lead to shortcuts being taken losing control of your emotions, particularly losing control of your temper also lead to a workplace accident.
- Altered, consciousness, criminal acts: the effects of alcohol, drugs, and medicines can result in an altered conscious state that in turn can be a contributory factor in some accident and injury. And finally deliberate malicious or criminal acts or acts of sabotage
