Unsafe / Unhealthy Acts and Conditions

Unsafe / Unhealthy Acts
and Conditions
Objectives
Working on this module should help you to:
• identify the different unsafe and unhealthy acts and
conditions in your workplace
• differentiate unsafe/unhealthy acts from
unsafe/unhealthy conditions
• explain the relationship between unsafe/unhealthy acts
and unsafe/unhealthy conditions
• identify Filipino traits and characteristics in the workplace
which result in unsafe/unhealthy acts and conditions
• define accident and its causes
• enumerate ways to promote safety consciousness
What are unsafe/unhealthy acts and conditions?
To be able to define this, let us first go back to the

work system composed of various elements: workers,
raw materials, tools and equipment and the work
environment. The interplay of these elements results
in the performance of specific tasks like production
of goods. But when an accident happens, the task/s
will not be accomplished or will be delayed.
Accidents
An accident is an unexpected,
unforeseen, unplanned and
unwanted occurrence or event
that causes damage or loss of
materials or properties, injury
or death.
Common Types of Accident
• fall from height and fall from the

same level (slips and trips)
• struck against rigid structure, • struck by falling objects
sharp or rough objects.
caught in, on or in • Electrocution • Fire
between objects
Costs of Accidents
The cost of accidents can be best explained by the
Iceberg Theory. Once an accident happens, money
has to be spent for medical expenses of the injured
worker/workers, insurance premiums and, in some
cases, for penalty and litigation expenses.
Companies also spend huge amounts to replace
damaged equipment and wasted raw materials.
These are what we consider as the direct costs of
accidents. But these are just the tip of the iceberg.
The larger and more dangerous part of the iceberg
however is the part that lies beneath the water.
This represents the indirect costs of an accident
which have a more damaging impact to the worker,
their families, the company and the community in
general. Indirect costs include:
1. Lost or lesser productivity of the injured –
workers lose their efficiency and income due to
work interruption on the day of the injury.
2. Loss of productivity among other employees due
to work stoppage when assisting the injured
worker, inspection or merely out of curiosity. The
psychological impact of the accident reduces the
workers’ productivity.
3. Loss of productivity among supervisors because
instead of focusing on managing people and the
work flow, they spend their time assisting the
injured, investigating the accident and preparing
inspection reports.
4. Hiring and training replacement workers
5. Downtime due to equipment damage
• Apart from these are humane aspects of accidents

such as sorrow due to loss, hardships and
inconveniences, physical pain and discomfort and
psychological problems.
Are these phrases familiar to you?
– "Oras na niya"
– "Malas niya lang"
– “Tanga kasi”
– “Kasama sa trabaho”
People usually utter the above mentioned
phrases or statements when someone gets
injured or dies in an accident. However,
these are not the real causes of accidents
but mere excuses of people who do not
understand the concepts of occupational
safety and health. Accidents are primarily
caused by unsafe and unhealthy acts and
conditions.
Unsafe/unhealthy Act
These often happen when a worker has improper attitudes,

physical limitations or lacks knowledge or skills. Examples of
unsafe acts include: horse playing, smoking in non-smoking
areas, using substandard/defective tools, non - wearing of
goggles/gloves, driving without license, reporting to work under
the influence of liquor or drugs, and improper storage of paints
and hazardous chemicals among others.
Unsafe/unhealthy Condition
ANSI defines this as the physical or chemical property

of a material, machine or the environment which
could possibly cause injury to people, damage to
property, disrupt operations in a plant or office or
other forms of losses. Examples of unsafe conditions
include: slippery and wet floors, dusty work area,
congested plant lay-out, octopus wiring, scattered
objects on the floor/work area, poor storage system,
protruding nails and sharp objects, unguarded
rotating machines/equipment, etc.
It is very important to state the specific
unsafe/unhealthy acts and conditions since these
become the basis for recommendations to the
management. A general statement of the problem will
only mean a general recommendation or solution, not
an accurate one. If you state that the problem is “poor
housekeeping”, logically your recommended solution
would be “good housekeeping”. Although this is very
basic, being definite and specific in identifying
unsafe/unhealthy acts and conditions is critical in
convincing the management that safety and health
issues in the workplace are worth their attention and
commitment.
Can accidents be prevented?
Herbert William Heinrich, an American industrial safety pioneer

who worked as an Assistant Superintendent of the Engineering
and Inspection Division of Travelers Insurance Company, did a
study on the insurance claims. After reviewing thousands of
accident reports completed by supervisors, who generally
blamed workers for causing accidents without conducting
detailed investigations into the root causes, Heinrich found out
that 98% of workplace accidents are preventable and only 2% are
nonpreventable. Of the 98% preventable accidents, 88% is due to
unsafe/unhealthy acts or “man failure” and 10% is due to
unsafe/unhealthy conditions.
How do you prevent yourself from performing
unsafe/unhealthy acts that will cause
unsafe/unhealthy conditions at work?
It is important to raise everybody’s consciousness to such a

degree that we all begin to realize that our actions affect other
people in the workplace, even if these appear to have nothing
to do with them. If you agree that we are part of the problem,
then, probably we can be part of the solution, too. OSHC
believes that Filipinos are inherently responsible workers.
Given the proper education, training, and the right
motivation, we can do our part in making a safe and a
healthy workplace. That is why we are conducting this BOSH
Training Course.

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Unsafe / Unhealthy Acts

To be able to define this, let us first go back to the

• fall from height and fall from the

• Apart from these are humane aspects of accidents

These often happen when a worker has improper attitudes,

ANSI defines this as the physical or chemical property

Herbert William Heinrich, an American industrial safety pioneer

It is important to raise everybody’s consciousness to such a

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