In the pursuit of a livelihood, wage earners are subjected to varying risks and hazards, some of which are peculiar to their own occupation, while others arise as a result of their own or the carelessness of others.
Industrial accidents do not constitute a new risk to social security and wellbeing of workers in industrial organizations. In fact these accidents have been covered by many legal provisions throughout the world for several decades. In the contemporary techno- bureaucratizing world, industrial accidents pose a special challenge to the safety of workers in industry.
Also, the multi-causality of industrial accidents, new and emerging types and causes of industrial accidents due to sophisticated equipment and machinery, the growing impact of informal work and migrant workers in a globalized economy all demand special attention be paid to the problems and challenges associated with industrial accidents in the beginning of the 21
st
century. Against this background, it appears very important to devise some safety regulation and legislation to protect the life of individuals employed in industries or factories. History suggests that labour legislation follows closely on the heels of industrialization (Singleton, 1983). The advent of the industrial revolution in the nineteenth century created a need for legislation designed to reduce the increasing risk of injury and ill-health resulting from the introduction of new machines and processes. The achievements of modern industry were unfortunately marred by a startling casualty rate. One of the immediate effects of the industrial revolution with its mechanization of production was a tremendous increase in the number of health and accident hazards faced by the worker and the subsequent evolution of industry has facilitated a cumulative increase in such hazards (Muntz, 1980). The industrial safety philosophy developed because the hazardous work environment of early factories and other production and distribution sites produced a high rate of worker injuries and deaths. If these conditions had not been corrected to stop the waste of personnel and resources, the growing number of accidents