4.7 Accidents |
Contents
1. Definition of Accident
An accident is an unplanned event that results in injury or ill heath to people as well as damage to property, plant and equipment where there was a risk of harm. This includes what are known as 'dangerous occurrences' or 'near misses'.
Most accidents have the potential to cause both property damage and personal injury but not always both. All accidents need to be reported to enable the company to take appropriate action to prevent a recurrence. To this end the following procedures need to be adhered to by all involved.
2. Accident Reporting
2.1 All Accidents
All accidents must be recorded/reported in the Accident Book. It will also be necessary to complete a Body Map (for all accidents involving young people, for staff when caused by physical interventions). The young person's case record must be completed if their has been medical treatment. The young person's Daily Summary must be completed.
If the accident is minor, the manager must investigate the incident and initiate control measures and Risk Assess to determine the possibility of repeat accidents.
If the accident is more serious, it will be necessary to record/report it as set out in the following sections:
2.2 Reportable Accidents and Incidents (In Company)
These are any accidents or incidents that fall between 'Minor' and Health & Safety Executive (HSE) reportable (see Section 2.3, HSE Reportable Accidents).
For example:
- An injury to a person that results in them being unable to carryout their normal duties for up to two days.
- An injury that required hospital treatment but the person was not kept in hospital for more than 24hrs.
- Any accident involving a young person that requires hospital treatment
In the case of these accidents:
- The records must be in the accident book and an accident report completed
- The Registered manager/Head Teacher must be informed and they must conduct a Risk Assessment
2.3 HSE Reportable Accidents and Incidents
Also see RIDDOR Procedure.
These are accidents and incidents that are reportable to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). These include:
- Three-day reportable accidents. Where a person is absent from work or is unable to carry out their normal duties for three or more days following the accident (including an act of physical violence). The day of the accident is not included but weekends shift breaks and holidays are to be included in the calculation. This must be reported to the enforcing authority (i.e. Health & Safety Executive) within 10 days
- Death or major injury. An employee or self employed person working on the premises is killed or suffers a major injury (including as a result of physical violence), or a member of the public including a child is killed or taken to hospital; these must be notified to the HSE immediately
Major injuries are:
- Fracture other than to fingers, thumbs or toes
- Amputation
- Dislocation of the shoulder, hip, knee or spine
- Loss of sight (temporary or permanent)
- Chemical or hot metal burn to the eye or any penetrating injury to the eye
- Injury resulting from an electric shock or electrical burn leading to unconsciousness or requiring resuscitation; or requiring admittance to hospital for more than 24 hours.
- Any other injury: leading to hypothermia, heat-induced illness or unconsciousness; or requiring resuscitation or requiring admittance to hospital; for more than 24 hours.
- Unconsciousness caused by asphyxia or exposure to harmful substances or biological agents.
- Acute illness requiring medical treatment, or loss of consciousness arising from absorption of any substance by inhalation, ingestion or through the skin.
- Acute illness requiring medical treatment where there is reason to believe that this resulted from exposure to a biological agent or toxins or infected material.
Specified diseases
If a doctor notifies you that your employee, visitor or young person suffers from a reportable work-related disease then you must report it to the enforcing authority.
Reportable diseases include :
- Certain poisonings
- Some skin diseases such as occupational dermatitis, skin cancer, chrome ulcer, oil folliculitis/acne.
- Lung disease including occupational asthma, farmer's lung, pneumoconiosis, asbestosis, mesothelioma
- Infections such as: leptospirosis, hepatitis, tuberculosis, anthrax, legionellosis, tetanus
- Other conditions such as occupational cancer, certain musculoskeletal disorders, decompression illness and hand-arm vibration syndrome.
For further guidance on reportable diseases refer to RIDDOR website.
Dangerous Occurrence
If something happens involving an employee, self employed person, visitor or child which does not result in a reportable injury, but which clearly could have done, then it may be a dangerous occurrence, which must be reported immediately to the enforcing authority.
Reportable dangerous incidents include :
- Collapse, overturning or failure of load bearing parts of lifts and lifting equipment
- Electrical short circuit or overload causing fire or explosion.
- Any unintentional explosion, misfire, failure of demolition to cause the intended collapse. Projection of material beyond a site boundary, injury caused by an explosion.
- Malfunction of breathing apparatus while in use or during testing immediately before use.
- Failure or endangering of diving equipment, the trapping of a diver, an explosion near a diver or an uncontrolled ascent.
- Dangerous occurrence at a well
- Unintended collapse of any building or structure under construction, alteration or demolition where over 5 Tonnes of material falls, a wall or floor in a place of work.
- Explosion or fire causing suspension of work for over 24 hours.
- Accidental release of any substance which may damage health
A full definitive list can be found on the HSE website.
2.4 Reporting to the HSE
Reports must be made initially to the Registered Manager/Head Teacher. The Registered Manager /Head Teacher should notify Head Office who will inform the Health and Safety Executive Incident Contact Centre as detailed below. It will also be necessary to notify other agencies as required in Notifiable Events Procedure.
- By telephone 0845 300 9923 or
- By fax 0845 300 9924
- By E Mail riddoricc@natbrit.com
Human Bites
In the event of a bite inflicted by a service user, the injured person must be asked if they have been immunised for Hepatitis B. In the case of a negative reply the employee should be advised to seek a blood test.
3. Accident Investigation
The company will ensure where practicable all accidents or incidents of work related ill health, dangerous occurrences and near misses will be fully investigated by the Registered Manager/Head Teacher. Accident or incident investigation is not a means of determining fault or apportioning blame.
The purpose of the investigation is as follows.
- To ensure that all necessary information in respect of the accident or incident is collated.
- To understand the sequence of events that led to the accident or incident.
- To identify the unsafe acts and conditions that contributed to the cause of the accident or incident.
- To identify the underlying causes that may have contributed to the accident or incident.
- To ensure that effective remedial actions are taken to prevent any recurrence.
- To enable a full and comprehensive report of the accident or incident to be prepared and circulated to all interested parties.
- To enable all statutory requirements to be adhered to.
Staff selected to carry out investigations will be required to attend any necessary training and will be provided with appropriate information and resources to enable them to carry out their respective roles.
In order to facilitate a successful investigation following an incident, the following steps should be taken.
- Assess the need to investigate the incident when it is reported.
- Notify and assemble the appropriate staff to carry out the investigation.
- Ensure that all the necessary investigation equipment is assembled.
- The accident scene should be secured, where necessary:
- To prevent additional dangers
- To preserve the evidence
- For samples to be taken.
- All relevant physical evidence should be inspected and recorded with samples taken if required.
- Work activities, systems and conditions should be examined and/or noted.
- Relevant documentation, e.g. risk assessments, should be collated and examined.
- Witnesses and those injured should be interviewed.
- Any unsafe acts and conditions, along with underlying causes of incidents, should be analysed.
- Remedial action should be taken to prevent any recurrence.
- Suitable reports should be prepared and distributed to Head Office and Senior Managers.
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