When accidents that happen in the shop or around the house and are examined critically, they can be broken down into the following causes.  Once these accident causes are identified, preventive actions can be taken to remove or guard against these accident types.

Caught in Between Accidents

These are accidents that occur when some part of the body is caught in an enclosure or opening of some kind.

• Contact with sanding equipment or rotating shafts

• Exposure to small floor openings

• Working in tight places

 Falls on the Same Level

      Falls on the same level accidents are ones in which someone is walking on a level surface.  They are generally produced by slipping hazards and tripping hazards.

• Keep walkways and floor areas striped as paths of travel clear.
• Saw dust or scrap material cleaned up frequently
• Any type of spill or leak of fluid cleaned up immediately.

• Clean up during and after repairs or service work.

Overexertion Accidents

• Manually handling heavy objects.

• Exerting extreme force to release a stuck object

• Attempting to recover unbalanced or falling objects

Struck Against Accidents

      Four situations often produce accidents where an object strikes a body part against an object and causes an injury

• Temporarily positioned objects the protrude into walkways or work areas

• Permanently positioned objects that require extra effort to avoid

• Cramped or congested work areas

• Loss of balance which causes a strike against an object

Contact Accidents

Any work that involves materials or equipment injurious to contact:

• Working on or near electrically charged equipment

• Working near hot materials or equipment.
• Working with or handling chemicals