Employee Hit and Injured by Overhead Travelling Crane - Case Study Example

Accident Report- Employee Hit and Injured by Overhead Travelling Crane Incident Summary An employee was hit and badly injured in the back by an object that was being transported by the overhead train. The employee was found lying on the ground and complained of a sharp pain in his back. Investigation Conclusions: Employee stood in the non-designated area- During the accident the employee was found standing in the non-designated area, thereby being vulnerable to accident and harm. Company’s safety regulations not promulgated amongst and adhered to by the new employees- The employee was standing under the travelling crane that is strictly prohibited by the company’s safety regulations. The crane operator did not activate the alarm when he found the injured employee in the non-designated area. On inspection he reported that alarm signal was out of order and he did not inform about it to anyone. He also did not care to warn the injured employee in time. The injured employee was under stress- The employee was new and facing some disciplinary action in the company. Perhaps he was stressed when the accident happened because as per the information provided by a senior employee, when the employee got hit, the overhead crane was travelling at a very slow speed. He may have avoided being hit, had he been alert. Crane operator not appropriately trained- The operator handling the crane at that time lacked the requisite training in the handling of hoisting apparatus. Lack of cordiality and concern between the new and old employees- No appropriate action was taken by the other employees deployed in the area where the accident occurred. There existed a clear cut lack of cordiality and amity between the senior and new employees. Lack of mentoring roles- Commitment to work place safety is something that the new employees imbibe from the senior mentors. There existed a lack of mentoring provisions in the work area, which could have prevented the accident. The Crane- The crane was last inspected on July 1, 2005 and serviced on May 15, 2005. The inspection and maintenance of the overhead crane were long due. First Aid Officer on leave- The First Aid Officer was on leave and no replacement was deployed. Thereby, the injured employee did not receive any first aid till the ambulance arrived. Immediate Steps to be taken within the Next 24 Hours: Following steps ought to be taken within the next 24 hours: The Injured Employee- It is assured that the injured employee gets the proper treatment, medical care and appropriate financial and moral support on a priority basis. Promulgation of Company’s Safety Regulations amongst the New Employees- All the new employees are urgently called to a meeting where a senior foreman promulgates and explains in detail the Company’s Safety Regulations to them. Alarm Signal- The audible alarm signal on the crane floor replaced urgently. Crane Operator- The crane operator, operating the crane during the accident is sent on leave for the time and it is assured that all the operators hence forth operating the crane are suitably trained and experienced in handling all aspects of the crane operations. An inquiry is ordered as to why the crane operator did not warn the injured employee in time. Crane- The crane needs to be inspected and serviced on an immediate basis. Employees facing disciplinary action- The employees facing disciplinary action or other such procedures are strictly prohibited from being deployed in hazardous areas on the shop floor. First Aid Officer- An immediate replacement is deployed in place of the First Aid Officer on leave. Fixing of accountability- The senior foremen deployed on the shop floors will be conveyed that it is they who will have to assure that all the employees abide by the Company’s Safety Regulations while being on the shop floor. Senior foremen will be extended the requisite authority on an immediate basis. Recommendations to be implemented over the Next 3 Months: Following policy measures are recommended to be implemented over the next 3 months: Qualification and Experience- Strict qualification and experience associated norms will be adhered to while recruiting the new employees. Care will be taken to assure that the employees who are recruited do have the qualification and experience associated documents and certificates from the credible institutions and organizations. Fixing of accountability for the upkeep of safety equipment- Specific personnel will be assigned accountability for assuring that the safety equipment like alarms, signals and fencing are checked and replaced on a regular basis. The employees operating the specific equipment will be held responsible for reporting the failure of any safety equipment to the concerned personnel and strict and prompt disciplinary action will be taken in case they fail to do so. Placing the inspection and servicing of heavy equipment under a unified chain of command- The responsibility for inspecting and servicing the heavy equipment like cranes, etc will be placed under an organized chain of command working under a senior service engineer, who will be held accountable for any failure in this regard. Replacements- Replacements will be put in place for important safety associated personnel like First Aid Officers. Culture of Safety- Carel will be taken to inculcate a culture of safety at Laser Tech Inc., where all the employees are expected to know, learn and abide by the safety norms and regulations and where strict intolerance is shown for the breach of safety regulations and norms. Mentoring Program- An ambitious mentoring program will be initiated at Laser Tech Inc., where a fixed number of new employees will be placed under the mentorship of a senior employee. The mentor employees will be expected to pass on the safety associated knowledge, culture and training to the new employees, and the gains made by new employees will be assessed on the basis of certain quantifiable criteria that will be put in place. The mentors and new employees registering noticeable achievement in this program will be extended opportunities for privileged promotion and skill enhancement training. This mentoring program will also go a long way in diluting the angst and distrust existing between the old and new employees. Group Insurance Fund- A Group Insurance Fund will established by the company where a fixed amount will be contributed by both the company and the employees to assure that all the employees are insured against accidents and injuries. Read More