Studying work practices: a key factor in understanding accidents on the level triggered by a balance disturbance

Carine Derosier, Sylvie Leclercq (), Pierre Rabardel and P. Langa
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Carine Derosier: HT - Département Homme au Travail - INRS ( Vandoeuvre lès Nancy) - Institut national de recherche et de sécurité (Vandoeuvre lès Nancy), PARAGRAPHE - Laboratoire Paragraphe - UP8 - Université Paris 8 Vincennes-Saint-Denis - UCP - Université de Cergy Pontoise - Université Paris-Seine
Sylvie Leclercq: HT - Département Homme au Travail - INRS ( Vandoeuvre lès Nancy) - Institut national de recherche et de sécurité (Vandoeuvre lès Nancy)
Pierre Rabardel: PARAGRAPHE - Laboratoire Paragraphe - UP8 - Université Paris 8 Vincennes-Saint-Denis - UCP - Université de Cergy Pontoise - Université Paris-Seine
P. Langa: PARAGRAPHE - Laboratoire Paragraphe - UP8 - Université Paris 8 Vincennes-Saint-Denis - UCP - Université de Cergy Pontoise - Université Paris-Seine

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Abstract: Accidents on the level (AOL) rank second amongst the most numerous and serious occupational accidents with days lost in France and are a major health and safety problem in every sector of activity. The case study described in this paper was conducted at a metallurgical company with 300 employees. The aims of this work were dual: 1) to extend the general knowledge required for preventing these accidents; 2) to propose prevention measures to this company. Existing data on company occupational accidents were gathered and analysed to identify a work situation that appeared likely to cause AOL. This work situation was analysed in detail. Several risk factors were identified within this work situation, by way of interviews with 12 operators. These risk factors concerned various dimensions of the work situation, particularly its physical dimension (e.g. templates structure) and organisational dimension (e.g. parts availability). Interviews were conducted, focusing on risk factors perceived by operators and involving allo-confrontations based on accounts of four AOL occurring in this situation. Allo-confrontations were interviews confronting operators with a risk occupational situation that was accidental for one of their colleagues, the latter being absent from the interview. Results highlighted the fact that the work practices implemented are key factors in understanding these accidents. This study underlines the role of work practices in AOL causality and prevention. It also provides explanations associated with various work situation dimensions involving adoption of more or less safe work practices. AOL are serious and frequent in occupational situations. Injury claims analysis and interviews in an industrial company emphasise the specific characteristics of an occupational situation and of prevention actions forming the basis of an intervention. The need for a better understanding of factors affecting work practice is highlighted in relation to research.

Keywords: Injury prevention; Occupational accident; Accident on the level; Slips; Trips and falls; Accident analysis; Work practices; ACCIDENT DU TRAVAIL; ANALYSE DES ACCIDENTS; CAUSE ACCIDENT; CHUTE DE PLAIN-PIED; MESURE DE PREVENTION; ANALYSE DU TRAVAIL; ENQUETE; ENTREPRISE; FACTEUR DE RISQUE; GLISSADE; ORGANISATION DU TRAVAIL; PERCEPTION DU RISQUE; POSTE DE TRAVAIL (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2008
Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-01578559
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

Published in Ergonomics, 2008, 51 (12), pp.1926-1943. ⟨10.1080/00140130802567061⟩

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-01578559

DOI: 10.1080/00140130802567061

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