BASIC SAFETY RULES AND MEASURES

Comprehensive Study Notes

Occupational Safety and Health (OSH)

PART I: GENERAL CONCEPTS ON OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY

AND HEALTH (OSH)

1. What is an Accident?
An accident is an occurrence or event that is:
• Unexpected / Unforeseen
• Unplanned
• Unwanted

Accidents lead to:

• Loss or damage to property
• Injury to persons
• Death

2. Common (Incorrect) Reasons Given for Accidents

The following are common layman excuses — NOT real causes:
• "Oras na kasi niya, hayaan na siyang mamahinga!" (It was his time to rest)
• "Ang malas naman niya!" (He was just unlucky)
• "Kasama sa trabaho yan!" (It comes with the job)

These are only EXCUSES — not real causes of accidents.

3. Accident Causation
Accident causation refers to the primary factors behind an accident. The key elements
are:

Factor Description
PEOPLE Workforce, management, policies, behavior
 MATERIALS Items used, worked on, or manufactured
EQUIPMENT Tools and machinery
ENVIRONMENT Physical surroundings, natural environment, community/social/legal
influences

For OSH professionals, identifying causation factors in any workplace injury or accident
is the key to prevention.

4. H. W. Heinrich's Domino Theory

Heinrich's study of accidents revealed the following statistics:
• 98% of accidents are Preventable
• 88% are caused by Unsafe/Unhealthy Acts
• 10% are caused by Unsafe/Unhealthy Conditions
• 2% are Non-Preventable (considered true "accidents")

The Domino Theory (Chain Theory) states that an accident is one factor in a sequence
that may lead to injury.

5. The Domino Sequence of Accidents

The sequence flows from contributing factors through to the final result:

Domino Name Details

1st Domino Contributing Factors Personal faults, lack of safety education, personal
defects (physical, mental, financial)
2nd Major Causes Unsafe Acts & Unsafe Conditions
Domino
3rd Domino The Accident The event itself (struck by, falls, burns, etc.)
4th Domino The Result Pain, injury, property damage, delay, death

1st Domino – Contributing Factors (Personal Faults)

Bad Attitudes (Ugali / Asal):
• Bahala na (recklessness)
• Tamad (laziness)
• Matigas ang ulo (stubbornness)
• Mayabang (arrogance)
• Pilosopo (being a know-it-all)
Other Contributing Factors:
• Lack of Safety Education
• Personal Defects — Physical, Mental, Financial

2nd Domino – Major Causes

Unsafe Acts (Man):
• Victim — the injured worker themselves
• Other workers (e.g., horseplay)
• Supervisor — did not instruct/train, lack of supervision, incompetence
• Manager — failure to support, lack of concern

Unsafe Conditions:
• Machine-related conditions
• Material-related conditions
• Environmental conditions

3rd Domino – The Accident (Types)

• Struck by (Tinamaan)
• Struck against (Nauntog)
• Caught between (Naipit)
• Burns (Napaso)
• Falls — Same level or Different level (Nahulog)
• Exposure
• Poisoning (Nalason)

4th Domino – The Result

• Pain
• Injury to person
• Damage to property
• Delay
• Inconvenience
• Death

6. Unsafe / Unhealthy ACT (Definition)

An Unsafe/Unhealthy Act is:
• A human action that departs from a standard or written job procedure or common
practice, safety rules, regulations, or instructions.
• A violation of commonly-accepted safe procedures and/or processes.

Note: Unsafe/Unhealthy Acts are VERBS — they describe actions of people.

Examples of Unsafe Acts:
• Operating equipment without authority
• Removing safety devices
• Using defective equipment
• Using improper PPE or not using PPE at all
• Horse-playing

Examples of Unhealthy Acts:

• Smoking cigarettes in the workplace
• Inhaling organic solvents
• Drinking alcoholic beverages during office hours
• Taking illegal drugs inside company premises

7. Unsafe / Unhealthy CONDITION (Definition)

An Unsafe/Unhealthy Condition is:
• The physical or chemical property of a material, machine, or the environment that
may result in injury, property damage, or other losses.
• A condition that could have been guarded or prevented.

Note: Unsafe/Unhealthy Conditions are ADJECTIVES — they describe the

state/description of the workplace.

Examples of Unsafe Conditions:

• Defective tools/equipment
• Congested or blocked exits
• Inadequate warning systems
• Slippery floors
• Hazardous atmospheric conditions

Examples of Unhealthy Conditions:

• Excessive noise
• Inadequate illumination or ventilation
• Extreme temperature

8. The Accident/Illness Flow

Unsafe/Unhealthy Acts and Conditions lead to Accidents/Illnesses through the following
chain:
• Unaware → acts or conditions go unnoticed
• Unable → person cannot address them
 • Unmotivated → person does not act on them
• Unnoticed → hazards are not identified
• Uncorrected → hazards remain unresolved

9. The Iceberg Theory of Accidents

A fatal accident is just the TIP of the iceberg. Beneath every death lies a much larger
base of prior incidents:

Level Count
Death 1
Serious Accidents 10
Minor Injuries 100
Hazardous Occurrences 1,000
Unsafe/Unhealthy Acts & Conditions 10,000

10. Role of Safety Officers

As safety officers, your responsibility is to:
• Identify unsafe/unhealthy acts and conditions in your workplaces.
• Implement control measures to prevent accidents and illnesses.
PART II: WORKPLACE GOOD HOUSEKEEPING (5S)

1. What is 5S?
5S is a tool that represents the basic principles of housekeeping and workplace
organization. It is more than cleaning and painting — it is a disciplined approach to keep
the workplace efficient and effective.

Benefits of 5S:
• Maintains safe and healthy work conditions
• High morale — employees feel good in their second home
• Improves company image

2. The 5S of Good Housekeeping

5S Term Filipino Term Description / Action

Seiri – Sort Suriin Identify and eliminate all unnecessary items from
the workplace
Seiton – Sinupin Put all essential materials in a systematic order
Systematize
Seiso – Sweep Simutin Clean and/or polish the workplace to attain a dirt- or
dust-free state
Seiketsu – Siguruhin Develop procedures, schedules, and practices;
Standardize regularly audit using checklists and measures of
housekeeping
Shitsuke – Self- Sariling-Kusa A condition where all members practice the above
Discipline 4S spontaneously and willingly as a way of life
PART III: FIRE SAFETY

1. What is Fire?
Fire is the rapid oxidation process with the evolution of light and heat.

2. The Fire Triangle

Three elements must be present simultaneously for a fire to occur:
• OXYGEN — Present in sufficient quantities to combine with fuel for combustion
• FUEL — Any combustible material
• HEAT — Energy necessary to raise the temperature of fuel and oxygen to their
reaction point

Removing any one element from the fire triangle will extinguish the fire.

3. Key Facts About Oxygen

• At 16% concentration — combustion slows down and will eventually diminish
• At 21% — normal atmospheric concentration; essential for respiration
• At 23% — atmosphere is considered oxygen-enriched; fire will intensify

4. Fire Classifications

Class Type Examples

Class A Ordinary Combustibles Paper, wood, plastic
Class B Surface Fires Oil, gasoline, alcohol, grease, oil-based paints
Class C Energized Electrical Appliances, power tools, motors, electrical
Equipment panels
Class D Combustible Metals Magnesium, Sodium, Potassium
Class K Kitchen Fires Combustible vegetable or cooking fats

5. Importance of Fire Safety

• Life Safety — Primary goal: protect building occupants from injury and prevent
loss of life
• Property Protection — Secondary goal: prevent property damage
 • Protection of Operations — Prevent fires and limit damage to ensure work
operations continue

6. Using a Portable Fire Extinguisher (P.A.S.S.)

Instructions for correct use:
• Start approximately 6–8 feet from the fire, then squeeze the trigger slowly while
moving towards the fire
• A 10-lb fire extinguisher lasts only 10–20 seconds — use it correctly
• When the fire is extinguished, stop pulling the trigger. If there is re-ignition, there
will still be contents inside the unit
• Always ensure you have an escape path in case the fire is not extinguished

7. Fire Brigade Organization

Structure of a fire brigade:
• Fire Marshall
• Deputy Fire Marshall
• Fire Captain
• Assistant Fire Captain
◦ Fire Fighting Group
◦ • Fire Extinguisher Handler
◦ • Fire Hose Handler
◦ Evacuation Group
◦ • Evacuation Guide
◦ • Fire Exit Guard
◦ First Aid Group
◦ • First Aid Man
◦ • Nurse
◦ Security and Communications Group
◦ Search & Rescue Group
PART IV: MACHINE SAFETY

1. What is Machine Safety?

Machine safety is the safeguarding of any machine part that may cause injury. It is the
prevention of accidents when working with machines.

Machine safety prevents:

• Loss of life
• Severe accidents or serious injury
• Loss of production
• Equipment damage and costly repairs
• Time spent on accident investigation and statutory requirements

2. Machine Guards
Guards are barriers that prevent entry of an individual's hands or other body parts into a
hazard area. They are installed to minimize the risk of injury to machine operators or
other persons from:
• Hazardous machine parts
• Materials being processed
• Scrap produced by machines

3. Types of Machine Guards

• Fixed Enclosing Guards
• Movable Guards with Interlocking Switches
• Adjustable Guards
◦ Manually Adjustable
◦ Self-Adjusting
• Photoelectric Light Curtains / Presence Sensing Devices
• Two-Hand Controls
• Pullback Devices
• Restraint Devices
PART V: SAFETY IN MATERIAL HANDLING & STORAGE

1. What is Materials Handling?

Materials handling is a technique which includes the art of lifting, placing, storing, or
moving materials through the use of appropriate handling equipment and personnel.

Type Description
Manual Handling The lifting, transporting, and packaging of products using one's
own physical strength; hand-operated handling.
Mechanical Handling More rigid, powered and non-powered mechanics mainly used
for handling bulky and heavy items.

2. Proper Procedure for Manual Lifting

Reminders before lifting:
• Inspect materials for sharp edges, burrs, rough or slippery surfaces
• Get a firm grip on the object
• Keep fingers away from pinch points, especially when setting down materials
• Wipe off greasy, wet, slippery, or dirty objects before handling
• Never attempt to lift objects that are too heavy or bulky to handle safely

Correct lifting actions:

• Stand close to the load and face the way you intend to move
• Keep feet apart
• Be sure you have a good grip on the load
• Look forward to keep back straight
• Keep arms straight
• Tighten abdominal muscles
• Tuck chin into the chest

Recommended PPE for manual handling:

• Lightweight, flexible, tear and puncture-resistant clothing
• Safety boots with toe caps and slip-resistant soles
• Protective gloves appropriate for the materials being handled

3. Mechanical Handling – General Requirements

• Operators must undergo skills training and must be authorized to operate
equipment
 • Equipment must be regularly inspected and maintained

4. Principles of Material Storage

• SAFETY — Stored materials must not create hazards
• ACCESSIBILITY — Materials must be easily reachable for users
• ORDERLINESS — Storage areas must be organized and systematic

5. Materials Storage Room – General Requirements

• Stored materials must not create a hazard
• Storage rooms should be properly illuminated and ventilated
• Materials must be properly identified and labeled, including hazard labels
• Proper danger or warning signs must be posted
• Smooth flow of materials, material handling equipment, and people must be
maintained
• Storage areas must be kept free from accumulated materials that may cause
tripping, fires, explosions, or pest infestation
• When stacking and piling materials, be aware of height, weight, accessibility, and
container condition
• Materials and handling equipment must not obstruct emergency equipment such
as fire alarm buttons, evacuation maps, first aid kits, and fire extinguishers
PART VI: ELECTRICAL SAFETY

1. Protection Against Hazards of Electricity

Measure Description
Maintain Adequate Grounding Intentionally create a low-resistance path that connects to
the earth to prevent electrical shock
Proper Installation of Guards Enclose electric equipment to prevent accidental contact
with live parts
Use Adequate and Approved Proper foot protection (not tennis shoes), rubber insulating
PPE gloves/hoods/sleeves/matting/blankets, insulated (non-
conductive) hard hat

Regular inspection of electrical fixtures, equipment, and machines will allow early
detection and correction of defects.

SUMMARY OF KEY POINTS

Topic Key Point

Accidents Unexpected, unplanned, unwanted events leading to loss,
injury, or death
Heinrich's Domino Theory 98% of accidents are preventable; 88% from unsafe acts,
10% from unsafe conditions
Unsafe Acts vs. Conditions Acts = VERBS (what people do); Conditions = ADJECTIVES
(state of the workplace)
5S Housekeeping Sort, Systematize, Sweep, Standardize, Self-Discipline —
foundation of a safe workplace
Fire Triangle Oxygen + Fuel + Heat = Fire; remove one element to
extinguish
Machine Guards Barriers that prevent body parts from entering hazard areas
Material Storage Must be Safe, Accessible, and Orderly
Electrical Safety Ground circuits, install guards, use proper PPE

— End of Notes —