The Definition of Accident

Definition of Accident

An accident is an unplanned, unwanted event that results in injury, illness, death, property damage or environmental harm. In workplace safety, accidents are a subset of incidents: an incident is any unplanned event that caused or could have caused harm, while an accident is one where harm actually occurred. Many safety professionals now prefer the word "incident," because "accident" can suggest the event was random and unavoidable, when most workplace injuries have identifiable, preventable causes.

Key Facts About Workplace Accidents

• Accidents usually result from a combination of unsafe conditions, unsafe acts and gaps in management systems such as training, supervision and maintenance.
• OSHA requires employers to record work-related injuries and illnesses that meet its recording criteria on the OSHA 300 Log.
• Employers must report a work-related fatality to OSHA within 8 hours, and an in-patient hospitalization, amputation or loss of an eye within 24 hours.
• Near misses, events that could have caused harm but didn't, share the same causes as accidents and are valuable warning signs.
• Falls, struck-by incidents, caught-in or between hazards and electrocution are the leading causes of construction fatalities.

Example of an Accident

A worker slips on an unmarked wet floor near a leaking ice machine and breaks their wrist. The investigation finds the leak had been reported twice without a work order being created, and the corrective actions include repairing the machine, adding the area to housekeeping checks and fixing the maintenance request process.

Common Causes of Workplace Accidents

• Slips, trips and falls from poor housekeeping or unprotected edges
• Contact with moving machinery that is unguarded or not locked out
• Struck-by hazards from vehicles, forklifts and falling objects
• Overexertion and manual handling
• Fatigue, time pressure and inadequate training or supervision

How to Prevent Accidents

1. Identify hazards through inspections, job hazard analyses and worker input.
2. Control hazards using the hierarchy of controls.
3. Encourage and act on near miss and hazard reports.
4. Investigate every accident to find root causes, not just immediate causes.
5. Track leading indicators alongside injury rates.

Related Terms

• Accident Investigation
• Near Miss
• Recordable Incident
• Unplanned Event

Frequently Asked Questions: Accident

What is the difference between an accident and an incident?

An incident is any unplanned event that caused or could have caused injury, illness or damage. An accident is an incident that actually resulted in harm. Every accident is an incident, but not every incident, such as a near miss, is an accident.

Why do some safety professionals avoid the word "accident"?

"Accident" can imply the event was a matter of chance that no one could have prevented. Using "incident" reinforces that most workplace injuries have identifiable causes that can be found and fixed.

Which accidents must be reported to OSHA?

Employers must report work-related fatalities within 8 hours and work-related in-patient hospitalizations, amputations and losses of an eye within 24 hours. Other recordable injuries and illnesses must be entered on the OSHA 300 Log.