7 Common Causes of Workplace Accidents in Industrial Environments

Industrial production, i.e. the commercial production of tangible goods in a factory system, involves certain hazards and accident risks. At Shoes For Crews, we are committed to the safety of your employees and reducing these risks—for healthy and comfortable working. But what are the 7 most common causes  of  workplace accidents in industry? We explore this question in the following article, so read on to find out more about how you can best protect your staff. 

Key factors behind accident causes

The primary question to answer is: Which factors play a role in the causes of the approximately 340 million workplace accidents each year? In general, a distinction is made between the factors technology – organisation – people. The statistics already show how significant this issue is. For this reason, for example, the German Environment Agency commissioned a scientific study. One finding of the study indicates that “human and organisational factors should be regarded as the main sources of risk in industries” (see p. 9 of the study). The factor of “organisation” here primarily means management decisions. This includes, above all, how the workplace is designed, which protective equipment is provided and how appropriate safety training is planned. Human factors also account for an extremely high proportion of the causes of workplace accidents, so we will take a closer look at them below.

1. Incorrect operation of machinery and tools

Depending on the type of machinery and tools used, the possible types of injuries range from minor bumps, bruises and cuts to serious injuries such as amputations. For this reason, the utmost precision and attention are required when operating machinery. 

2. Insufficient experience

Not only in industrial workplaces, but in general, the age and experience of the respective employees play a major role in the causes of workplace accidents. As with point 1, instruction and onboarding are therefore crucial to minimising risk.

3. Working too routinely

The opposite of insufficient experience occurs when skilled workers have many years of professional experience but, especially as they get older, tend not to approach their daily tasks with the same attention. Routine partly blocks our ability to pay attention, so it is important to enable employees to work in different departments and areas of the company in order to provide a certain degree of variety.

4. Incorrect lifting, carrying and storage

Incorrect lifting can lead to inappropriate physical strain, which often affects the back in particular. As we described in an earlier article, appropriate transport and lifting equipment must be used when moving heavy materials and goods in order to minimise accident risks. 

5. Insufficient awareness of risks

Whether due to a lack of professional experience, overestimating one's own abilities or insufficient workplace instruction—if awareness of the risks and the safety regulations to be followed is lacking, accidents can and will happen. Here too, management must ensure that employees receive all necessary instruction and that it is refreshed regularly.

6. Ignoring regulations

It is possible that the company's safety measures are implemented in such a way that they cause a disproportionate delay in the workflow, thereby increasing the likelihood that employees—especially when under pressure—will ignore them. On the one hand, it is the responsibility of the safety officer to align the implementation of regulations with the requirements of the workflow in order to avoid this risk. On the other hand, disciplinary action may be necessary in cases of grossly negligent behaviour and repeated disregard for safety measures.

7. Falling, slipping or tripping

By far the most common cause of workplace accidents is falling, slipping or tripping, known as FST accidents. The work and health portal of the German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV), for example, reports the following statistics:

• 1,000 people fall and injure themselves at work in Germany on an average day.
• 45 percent of all fall accidents occur while walking on level surfaces. The floor is often slippery.
• 1/3 of all accident pensions due to reduced earning capacity result from FST accidents.

This shows the areas management needs to address in order to protect employees’ health and ensure smooth workflows:

• Appropriate training, instruction and regular refresher sessions on handling machinery and tools must be organised.
• Since human factors are only under management’s control to a certain extent, providing adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) can make a major contribution to minimising the aforementioned causes of workplace accidents.

At Shoes For Crews, we have made it our mission not only to support you in this area, but also to make your employees’ lives more comfortable. We offer a wide range of work shoes that not only meet common safety standards, but will also ensure that your employees in industry feel comfortable and can trust that they are in good hands and wearing the right footwear.