Accidents & its
prevention
Dr. Anil Iqbal
GMC, D.I.KHAN
Definition
• Accidents are unexpected & unintended events typically sudden in
nature associated with injury, harm, or loss.
• Many accidents also involve damage to or loss of property.
• WHO Advisory Group in 1956 defined accident as an
“unpremeditated event resulting in recognizable damage“.
Importance
• Represent a major epidemic of non-communicable diseases of
present century
• Cause great socioeconomic loss to society
• Majority of accidents are preventable
Types
• Accidents at Work
• You may have been involved in an accident whilst at work. This may include
accidents due to faulty machinery or equipment, lack of training or
supervision, lack of protective safety equipment or unsafe premises. Employers
must provide a safe working environment and failure to do so leaves the
employer liable to compensate any employee who suffers an injury in the
workplace.
• Slip/Trip Claims (public liability)
• You may have suffered an injury on a public footpath or road due to its poor
condition. You may have been slipped or tripped in a shop, restaurant or other
public place.
• Industrial Diseases and Illnesses
• These are usually caused by the conditions in your working
environment such as dust or fumes and through working with
hazardous substances.
• Road Traffic Accidents
• Injury during road accident, whether as a driver, a passenger, a
pedestrian or cyclist.
• Accidents Abroad
• You may have suffered an injury on holiday or whilst in another
country. You may have been injured on a cruise or on an
aeroplane. You may have been slipped or tripped in a hotel,
restaurant or other public place.
• Accidents involving Animals
• If you have been injured as a result of an accident involving an
animal – whether injured from a fall from a horse, bitten by a dog.
• Sports Related Injuries
• Common in sportsman. Injuries related to sports are knee injury
,elbow injury, wrist drop, groin injury etc
• Clinical Negligence
• If you have suffered because of the negligence of a medical
professional, i-e injection site abscess,foreign object inside
humanbody
• Other Injuries
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physical assaults and other criminal injuries,
sexual or physical abuse,
actions against the Police,
defective products,
fatal accidents,
Property damage
Agent
• Road traffic accidents result from Two wheelers, Old vehicles,
Increase in number of vehicles, overloading.
• HOST Host: Common in
• Some people (Poor driving skills, risky & Unusual behavior of
men & animals)
• Certain age-groups
• Certain places
• Certain times of day & week
• Fatigue, alcohol, other drugs
Environment
• Road traffic accidents result from defective roads, poor light, Fog,
Speed breakers, Overcrowding, wide disregard of Traffic rules, &
Non segregation of pedestrians, fast & slow-moving traffic.
• Increasing mechanization in agriculture & industry, Lack of
awareness, Poor implementation of safety precautions
• RFs for violence are societal acceptability, availability of lethal
weapons, alcohol & other drugs consumption etc.
Accident Causes
• Direct causes
• Unsafe act
• Unsafe conditions
• Indirect causes
• Physiological unsuitabilities
• Psychological unsuitabilites
• Lack of knowledge and skills
Heinrich theory of accident causation
• Injury is the result of factors:
• Social environment
• Fault of person
• Unsafe action/Unsafe condition
• Accident
• Injury
Reason for accident prevention
Prevention
• Primary prevention
• Road, vehicle, People, system
• Secondary Prevention
• Pre trauma care
• Acute emergency trauma care system
• Tertiary Prevention
• Hospital care
• Rehabilitation