1.5.9 Accidents

Contents

1.	Definition of Accident
2.	Accident Reporting
	2.1	All Accidents
	2.2	Reportable Accidents and Incidents (In Company)
	2.3	HSE Reportable Accidents and Incidents
	2.4	Reporting to the HSE

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 and in young people’s daily records. 

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, below). For example:

• An injury to a person that results in them being unable to carry out 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 manager must be informed and should conduct a Risk Assessment

2.3 HSE Reportable Accidents and Incidents

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 young person 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 Health & Safety Executive Website

Dangerous Occurrence

If something happens involving an employee, self employed person, visitor or young person 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:

1. Collapse, overturning or failure of load bearing parts of lifts and lifting equipment
2. Electrical short circuit or overload causing fire or explosion.
3. Any unintentional explosion, misfire, failure of demolition to cause the intended collapse. Projection of material beyond a site boundary, injury caused by an explosion.
4. Malfunction of breathing apparatus while in use or during testing immediately before use.
5. Failure or endangering of diving equipment, the trapping of a diver, an explosion near a diver or an uncontrolled ascent.
6. Dangerous occurrence at a well
7. 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.
8. Explosion or fire causing suspension of work for over 24 hours.
9. 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 Line Manager for the home, who must consult his/her manager with a view to notifying the Health and Safety Executive Incident Contact Centre as detailed below. 

• By telephone 0845 300 9923 or
• By fax 0845 300 9924
• By E Mail riddoricc@natbrit.com

In the case of a phone or faxed notification, a report of the incident must be sent within 10 days of the incident on the approved form (F2508 form) to the following address:  This form should be completed by the Line/Resource Manager.

Incident Contact Centre
Caerphilly Business Park
Caerphilly
South Wales
CF83 3GG

This report may be sent by fax or by post but confirmation of receipt must be obtained.

For a three-day reportable accident, other than one of the above, the Line Manager for the home shall (as soon as practicable and in any event within 10 days) send a report to the HSE on the approved form (F2508).

A copy of the F2508 form must be kept in the home and also sent to Head Office.

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.

End