The Concept of Engineering and Increased Industrial Accidents - Coursework Example

Industrial Accidents Name: Institution: Date: Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Abstract 3 1.0 Introduction 4 2.0 Industrial Accidents 4 2.1 Environmental Causes 4 2.2 Human Causes 5 3.0 Prediction and Prevention of Industrial Accidents 7 3.1 Database Establishment 7 3.2 Networking in the Industry 8 3.3 Communication Channels 8 4.0 Acceptable Industrial Accidents 9 5.0 Role of Engineers in Enhancing Safety 11 6.0 Recommendations 13 7.0 Conclusion 14 References 16 Abstract This report is a review of the concept of engineering and increased industrial accidents. The report evaluate if engineers have a role to play in facilitating and enhancing a safer world. In this regard, the report reviews the major causes of industrial accidents and whether such accidents are predictable and preventable or not. Moreover, the report evaluates whether industrial are acceptable to any extent. Finally, besides offering a conclusion, the report recommends a process through which engineers can learn and improve systems based on past industrial accidents. 1.0 Introduction Globalization has increased global economics and industrial systems. In this regard, it has increased organizational processes and activities. As such, engineering activities and processes have increased over the years. However, this has resulted into increased industrial accidents because of engineering malfunctions. These accidents result from both industrial mistakes as well as external sources such as calamities. Industrial accidents result to increased negative implications in the organizations and economy at large. Besides the human injuries caused by the accidents, industrial accidents cause societal and organizational losses (Philipsen, 2009). As such, it is imperative for engineers to develop systems through which to curb such accidents. This report reviews the causes of industrial accidents and the ability of engineers to predict such accidents. Moreover, the report evaluates the levels of acceptable accidents, as well as the process through which engineers learn from mistakes in industrial accidents. Finally, the report evaluates the role of engineers in developing a safer world and offers a summary conclusion. 2.0 Industrial Accidents Industrial accidents occurrence reasons and causes can be classified into two broad categories. Namely, the environmental cause as well as human error causes. 2.1 Environmental Causes The industrial environment plays a significant role in the causing of industrial accidents. The environment is classified and incorporates the equipments, machinery, working conditions as well as organizational premises. In this regard, the existence of these factors increases the possibility of increased accidents. On one hand, Binder, de Almeida and Monteau (1999) in the evaluation of the Brazil economy industrial accidents, established that the safety conditions in the organizational machinery in the organizations led to increased accidents. Some of the facilities and equipments used lack quality and safety standards compliance. Failure of the products to meet the required safety levels as determined by the respective authority levels, increases industrial conflicts. Moreover, the organizational and industrial working conditions increase industrial accidents occurrence possibilities. In this case, the market encounters increased mishandling, storage and usage of equipments. In this case, some equipment requires specific handling and storage facilities and conditions. As such, failure to apply the required facilities and conditions appropriately increases the possibility for industrial accidents. In addition, some industrial accidents are caused by external environmental conditions that are beyond the industry and respective organizations control. Such environmental causes increase the possibility for industrial accidents that are hard to adapt to or establish proactive mitigation measures. Such causes include hurricanes and earthquakes among others. Therefore, based on the above analysis, it is established that industrial conflicts emanate from both controllable and uncontrollable environmental conditions in the respective business environments. 2.2 Human Causes Adnett and Dawson (1998) state that an additional cause of industrial accidents is the contribution of human errors in organizational activities. In this regard, human effects such as lack of knowledge, skills and negative attitude plays significant roles in facilitating safety and increasing industrial accidents occurrence. On one hand, organizational human resources may lack sufficient knowledge on safety measures and standards. In this case, the human resource factors negligence increase the possibility for increased accidents due to increased cases of mishandling of equipments. On the other hand, the industrial conflicts increase because of organizational human resource skills deficiency. In this regard, the majority of the organizations employ individuals based on the cost of acquiring the human resource workforce. As such, the majority of the recruited individuals lack enough skill and expertise in handling organizational equipments and processes. While as some employees could be academically qualified, the lack of practical experiences leads to increased cases of organizational process flaws that increase industrial accidents. Therefore, the recruitment of inexperienced workforce increases the possibility industrial accidents occurrence. In addition, the workforce attitude to safety influences the instances and rapidity of the process occurrence. The workforce attitude determines the extent to which the workforce adheres to increased safety standards. Therefore, on one hand, the existence of a workforce with a positive attitude towards safety reduces the level, extent, and nature of occurrence of industrial conflicts. However, the presence of an organizational workforce that disregards safety precautions and has a do not care attitude towards safety increases the possibility for the occurrence of these factors. Thus, based on the above analysis, it is apparent that the human element in organizations influences the possibility, nature, and extent of industrial accidents occurrence. In this case, workforce knowledge, skills, and attitude on safety issues influence the occurrence of industrial accidents. 3.0 Prediction and Prevention of Industrial Accidents Industrial accidents causes are classified into two broad aspects the predictable and unpredictable accidents. On one hand, the unpredictable industrial accidents represent accidents that emanate from external sources such a natural calamities. In this case, the natural calamities occurrence is unpredictable. Therefore, engineers cannot predict organizational accidents caused by factors such as earthquakes. Consequently, their occurrence cannot be prevented. There are no scientifically established mechanisms restraining and preventing the occurrence of the natural calamities. However, it is possible to reduce the impact of these calamities and the resultant impacts on the overall functioning of the industries. In this case, organizational engineers can develop systems to allow for reduced impacts such include developing safety standards for ease of evacuation in the event of catastrophes such as earthquakes. On the other hand, the International Labour Office and the International Labour Conference (2002) listed the second category of industrial accidents as the predictable category. This is a category whose occurrence is internally caused and as such, failures are expected, and the nature, extent, and impacts can be predetermined. In this regard, engineers use a range of accident prediction tools to evaluate the possibility of such accidents occurrence. In this case, the engineers can adopt a three steps process in order to predict and prevent such accidents 3.1 Database Establishment The first logical step in accident's prediction is the establishment of a database. Predictable industrial accidents, emanating from internal organizational environments as well as human errors, occur on a repeated basis. More often than not, the industrial process flaws made are on a repeated basis. Therefore, the resultant impacts by the accidents are identical. In this case, the development of a recording system would allow the establishment of repeated accidents and impacts in the industry. In this case, such a developed database would provide information on common accidents, possible common causes as well as the nature and extent of their damages. The accident prevention process is a rational decision making process, which depends on a wide scope of data to establish appropriate mitigation measures. Therefore, the establishment and availability of this data is an important part of in the accident prevention decision-making process (McIvor & Johnston, 2007). 3.2 Networking in the Industry This step incorporates the development of an industrial average and benchmark for the respective organizations. In this case, the organizational data base information is shared and compared with peers in the industry to establish any established similarities and differences. On one hand, increased synergy between the industry’s organizations implies that the accidents are common in the industry, and their mitigation should be industry based rather than organizational based. On the other hand, contrasts imply that the established accidents are organizational based. In this case, respective organizations unique accidents represent unique failures in the systems. Therefore, Mannan (2004) argues that this calls for the establishment of organizationally based resolutions to the challenge such as structure change as well as systems performance and quality levels improvement. 3.3 Communication Channels The last approach that engineers can use in predicting industrial accidents and offering preventive measures is through the adoption of efficient communication structures and channels. In this regard, communication and feedback avenues should be developed between the users of organizational facilities, equipments, and machinery and the organization as well as with the equipments manufactures. In this case, this objective can be achieved with appraisal and equipments evaluation systems. In this regard, equipment's performance against expectation is established. Thus, remedies and reasons for any differences between performance and expectations are evaluated proactively. As such, the respective equipments and machinery performance and flaws are corrected accordingly. This allows for the prevention of controllable industrial accidents that result from gradual malfunctions in the organizational systems, processes, and strategies. 4.0 Acceptable Industrial Accidents Industrial accidents lead o increased negative implications on the respective organizations, workforce, and societies. In this case, the accidents, through the established prediction and prevention approaches and strategies should be avoided. As such, organizations, should strive to reduce and radical industrial accidents. The eradication of industrial accidents would ensure reduced risks mitigation investments as well as increased safety and efficiency. However, ranges of the accidents are unavoidable and constitute a part of the acceptable risks. In this case, the accidents include the natural calamities disasters and the equipments and process testing malfunctions. On one hand, the natural calamities accidents are those whose occurrence cannot be assessed, frequency irregular and implications highly varied. Therefore, the engineers and safety professionals have no control over these accidents occurrence, as their frequency is irregular. Therefore, organizations adopt these risks as acceptable. In this regard, the only mitigation strategies adopted are the post occurrence impact reduction strategies. In this case, the unpredictable industrial accidents that fall beyond the organizational and industry control are classified as acceptable. On the other hand, is the testing and process piloting processes. The engineering profession success is hedged on the basics of research and development. In this case, research is based on identification of new concepts, theorization of the concepts, modelling and testing. In this regard, engineering testing is not a justified success affair. Consequently, in testing, engineers seek to establish the rationale and practical applicability of hypotheses developed under the research hypothesis criteria. In this case, each hypothesis constitutes a different application procedure. Consequently, engineers test the applicability f the diverse hypothesis in an industrial setting under the pilot projects. Often research hypothesis testing is done under controlled experimental environments. Therefore, only the hypotheses that pass these experimental tests are authorized for implementation in the practical industrial settings. However, the obtained results for the varied hypotheses may vary between the two setting due to the available environment and control factors (Wilson, McCutcheon & Buchanan, 2003). The experimental controlled environment has the study variable subjected to identify independent factors. In this case, the independent factors number, extent, and degree of influence are controlled. As such, only the experimental independent variables influence the dependent variables outcomes. On the contrary, the industrial setting is under no regulation or control. In this case, the environment is influenced by the natural independent factor as the processes, environment, and human resources dictate. Consequently, the obtained results are due to the interplay of unlimited independent factors. In this regard, the results may vary from previous ones under controlled environments. In some cases, the introduction of new independent factors on developed research systems lead to unexpected results that at times leas to industrial conflicts. However, although, with negative implications, the engineering profession relies on such flaws in order to improve the proposed systems as well as enhance continuous improvements on the existing ones. Therefore, research testing and pilot projects industrial accidents are acceptable. Moreover, their occurrence signifies development and improvements in industrial process that serves as proactive measures to reduce on future industrial accidents. 5.0 Role of Engineers in Enhancing Safety The engineers have over the years played significant roles in enhancing increased world safety. In this regard, the engineers enhance the achievement of these through the reduction of industrial accidents. On one hand, the engineers can enhance workplace and industry safety through the development of quality products and equipments. N this case, the developed products should meet the minimum safety requirements. Moreover, the developed systems, processes, and equipments should not only aim at attaining the minimum safety standards, but also be of quality. In order to achieve this objective, engineers should engage in research and development to enhance the production of better quality systems and products. Voordijk, Stegwee and Helmus (2005) conducted a study to establish the role of research and innovation in the creation and enhancement of the production of quality and safety compliant engineering products. The study developed a hypothesis that research and innovation levels in engineering directly influenced the overall product development quality. In its analysis, the study established that statistical evidences in the market demonstrated that research in engineering enhanced increased workplace safety through the production f quality and safety compliant equipments. Therefore, this illustration serves as evidence that engineers have in the past played significant roles in facilitating increased safety in the world at large. Therefore, through increased research and innovation opportunities in the global economy, engineering will significantly overcome the existing challenges to developing better products that are safe and secure to operate. In addition, engineers enhance increased world safety through the development of scientific systems evaluation tools. Such tools include benchmarking and continuous improvement tools. Engineers increase global safety through the adoption and development of benchmarking techniques. The technique uses a scientific approach of comparing organizations in the market. In this case, the tool allows for comparison between the organization's performances in the industry. In this regard, the organizations, through this tool, attain increased performance through the adoption of best practices in the market. On the other hand, engineers facilitate workplace safety through the adoption of a continuous improvement approach. Continuous improvement process is a scientific process that allows for the evaluation of the existing systems performance levels. In this approach, the engineers provide an avenue for the evaluation of weak areas and consequently develop improvement strategies. In this case, engineers develop systems to improve systems efficiency. The world is highly dynamic, technology changes alter the products, and equipments fit in the economy. Therefore, although equipments would be safe to operate at their introduction into the industry, rapid changes render them irrelevant. Consequently, engineers through continuous improvement systems increase the system and products efficiency. 6.0 Recommendations Industrial accidents as already discussed are repeated cases that occur and happen because of changing industrial structures. In this case, it is possible to establish a mechanism through which such accidents occurrence can be stopped. One of the processes by which accident's repeat can be stopped is using the accident causes’ analysis. In this case, the process involves the setting up of processes benchmark. The process begins with accurate recording of the causative factors for the accidents. In this case, the process of evaluating the causes rather than the symptoms. While as it would be easy to evaluate the accidents systems, it is, a difficult and involving task to identify the root and actual causes of such accidents. For instance, while, as failure to switch off equipment after us could be the immediate cause for an accident occurrence, the failure by the manufacture to incorporate a circuit breaker could form the actual cause for the accident. In this regard, when developing lessons based on industrial accidents, individuals must be careful in establishing the actual cause rather than the immediate situational accident causes. Once the actual accident causes are established, the second logical step in learning from the mistakes is establishing alternative remedies for each case. In this case, it is imperative for the stakeholders to develop different alternatives on the remedies for the established problem. Afterwards, the stakeholders should identify the cost benefit analysis for the application of the developed alternatives. Accidents reduction and recurrence prevention is an expensive organizational venture that should be based on the principles of cost effectiveness and efficiency. In this regard, the developed alternative should not only derive benefits but also be executable. While as some of the alternatives could be viable, their application costs could be beyond the organizational ability. Consequently, the process of learning from mistakes in reducing accident's recurrence is a rational process that is based on double evaluation criteria on both the benefits and costs (Perrow, 2011). Upon the identification of the best alternative, that on one hand resolves and curbs the identified accidence source, and, on the other hand, on cost effectiveness, the engineers’ should adopt an alternative. The learning process is a dynamic, practical process whose success is not only hedged on the theoretical approach, but on accuracy of application in the organizations processes. At this stage, the decision makers should employ the appropriate strategies and approaches consistent with the organizational approaches in order to effectively incorporate the recommended alternative. Once an alternative is implemented, an evaluation of the appropriateness of the alternative should be established. In this case, the outcomes should be evaluated against the expected outcomes. Consequently, if the actual outcomes do not meet the expected outcomes, the alternative should be discarded, and an alternative adopted. Through this process, engineers and decision makers in organizations reduce and hedge against industrial accidents recurrence due to increased systems improvement and the adoption of the systems appraisal and continuous improvement approach. 7.0 Conclusion In summary, this report reveals that industrial accident causes can be categorized into two broad categories the environmental and human influences. On one hand, the environmental factors result to increased industrial accidents due to the external and internal factors such as catastrophes and working conditions. On the other hand, causative human factors include human knowledge, skills and attitude towards safety standards. Moreover, the report reveals that engineers can predict and prevent industrial accidents. In this regard, engineers can identify accidents through three major steps including database development, networking in the industry and communication channels improvement. Through these approaches, the essay establishes that, through industrial accident causes’ prediction, engineers can effectively prevent their occurrence through the development and institution of appropriate remedial strategies. Additionally, the report reveals that the unpredictable industrial accidents mainly caused by external environmental factors such as catastrophes. Moreover, research and pilot project failures form the basis for the acceptable industrial risks. In this case, the accidents, although having negative implications, have a positive long run implication in the enhancement of increased systems in the market. Moreover, it establishes that engineers adopt the concept of learning from mistakes through the decision making process. Finally, the report concludes that engineers have over the years enhanced the establishment of a safe world. This is achieved through research and innovation for the development of new equipments and scientific evaluation tools such as benchmarking and continuous improvement tools. References Adnett, N., & Dawson, A. (1998). The economic analysis of industrial accidents: A re-assessment. International Review of Applied Economics, 12(2), 241-255. Binder, M. C. P., de Almeida, ,I.M., & Monteau, M. (1999). Anthropotechnological analysis of industrial accidents in Brazil. World Health Organization.Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 77(12), 1008-16 International Labour Office., & International Labour Conference. (2002). Recording and notification of occupational accidents and diseases and ILO list of occupational diseases: Fifth item on the agenda. Geneva: International Labour Office. Mannan, S. (2004). Lees' loss prevention in the process industries: Hazard identification, assessment and control. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann. McIvor, A., & Johnston, R. (2007). Miners' lung: A history of dust disease in British coal mining. Aldershot : Ashgate. Perrow, C. (2011). Next catastrophe: Reducing our vulnerabilities to natural, industrial, and terrorist disasters. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Philipsen, N. J. (2009). Compensation for industrial accidents and incentives for prevention: A theoretical and empirical perspective. European Journal of Law and Economics, 28(2), 163-183. Voordijk, H., Stegwee, R., & Helmus, R. (2005). ERP and the changing role of IT in engineering consultancy firms. Business Process Management Journal, 11(4), 418-430 Wilson, L., McCutcheon, D., Buchanan, M., & University of Alberta. (2003). Industrial safety and risk management. Edmonton: University of Alberta Press. Read More

Failure of the products to meet the required safety levels as determined by the respective authority levels, increases industrial conflicts. Moreover, the organizational and industrial working conditions increase industrial accidents occurrence possibilities. In this case, the market encounters increased mishandling, storage and usage of equipments. In this case, some equipment requires specific handling and storage facilities and conditions. As such, failure to apply the required facilities and conditions appropriately increases the possibility for industrial accidents.

In addition, some industrial accidents are caused by external environmental conditions that are beyond the industry and respective organizations control. Such environmental causes increase the possibility for industrial accidents that are hard to adapt to or establish proactive mitigation measures. Such causes include hurricanes and earthquakes among others. Therefore, based on the above analysis, it is established that industrial conflicts emanate from both controllable and uncontrollable environmental conditions in the respective business environments. 2.2 Human Causes Adnett and Dawson (1998) state that an additional cause of industrial accidents is the contribution of human errors in organizational activities.

In this regard, human effects such as lack of knowledge, skills and negative attitude plays significant roles in facilitating safety and increasing industrial accidents occurrence. On one hand, organizational human resources may lack sufficient knowledge on safety measures and standards. In this case, the human resource factors negligence increase the possibility for increased accidents due to increased cases of mishandling of equipments. On the other hand, the industrial conflicts increase because of organizational human resource skills deficiency.

In this regard, the majority of the organizations employ individuals based on the cost of acquiring the human resource workforce. As such, the majority of the recruited individuals lack enough skill and expertise in handling organizational equipments and processes. While as some employees could be academically qualified, the lack of practical experiences leads to increased cases of organizational process flaws that increase industrial accidents. Therefore, the recruitment of inexperienced workforce increases the possibility industrial accidents occurrence.

In addition, the workforce attitude to safety influences the instances and rapidity of the process occurrence. The workforce attitude determines the extent to which the workforce adheres to increased safety standards. Therefore, on one hand, the existence of a workforce with a positive attitude towards safety reduces the level, extent, and nature of occurrence of industrial conflicts. However, the presence of an organizational workforce that disregards safety precautions and has a do not care attitude towards safety increases the possibility for the occurrence of these factors.

Thus, based on the above analysis, it is apparent that the human element in organizations influences the possibility, nature, and extent of industrial accidents occurrence. In this case, workforce knowledge, skills, and attitude on safety issues influence the occurrence of industrial accidents. 3.0 Prediction and Prevention of Industrial Accidents Industrial accidents causes are classified into two broad aspects the predictable and unpredictable accidents. On one hand, the unpredictable industrial accidents represent accidents that emanate from external sources such a natural calamities.

In this case, the natural calamities occurrence is unpredictable. Therefore, engineers cannot predict organizational accidents caused by factors such as earthquakes. Consequently, their occurrence cannot be prevented. There are no scientifically established mechanisms restraining and preventing the occurrence of the natural calamities. However, it is possible to reduce the impact of these calamities and the resultant impacts on the overall functioning of the industries.

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