Leigh SimmondsBA(Hons) DipNEBOSH CMIOSH MIIRSM MIMSPA

Principal Health and Safety Officer

Accident Recording, Reporting and Investigation

17 November 2011CHILDREN’S & ADULTS’ SERVICES

Objectives

• Define the principles of accidents and near misses.

State when and how to report an accident/incident including RIDDOR reporting.

• Identify steps for carrying out an accident investigation.

Accident

An undesired event that results in harm to people, damage to property or loss to process.

International Loss Control Institute

Incident or Near Miss

An undesired event that, under different circumstances, could have resulted in harm to people, loss to process or damage to plant.

International Loss Control Institute (Near Miss)

Only categories 3 and 4 tend to be reported and investigated in many organisations.

• No injury – no property damage• No injury – property damage• Injury – no property damage• Injury and property damage

Categories of Accident

Bird Triangle

1

10

60

600

Major injuries

> 3 day injuries

Minor injuries

Near misses

• Death• Disability• Pain/suffering• Stress & anxiety• Impact on family and friends• Reduced workforce morale

Accident Prevention Reasons

Accident Prevention Reasons

• Prosecutions/fines/jail• Costs resulting from prohibition notices• Legal fees• Increased insurance premiums• Repair costs• Staff replacement costs

Costs of Accidents – Accident IcebergAccident Iceberg

£1

£8 - £36

Insured costs

Uninsured costs

The Cost of Accidents at Work – HSG 96

Costs of Accidents

Insured costs

• Injury – Employers Liability insurance• Public liability• Fire insurance• Damage to vehicles, plant, buildings etc.• Illness

Costs of Accidents

Uninsured costs

• Product/material damage• Tool/equipment damage• Legal costs• Site clearance• Production delays• Additional labour/overtime

Costs of Accidents

Uninsured costs

• Investigation time• Clerical effort• Fines• Loss of expertise• Loss of experienced workers• Damage to company image/reputation

Accident Facts

On average 245 people die at work each year. 30,000 serious work place injuries happen each year. 38.5 million work days are lost each year due to work place injuries. 25,000 people leave the work force every year never to return due harm suffered at work.

70% of incidents are preventable by good management.

Costs of Accidents

• Poor safety management costs the country £16 billion per year (2–3% of GDP).

• The above equates to £200 per employee.

• Three in ten organisations have no H&S budget.

• 1/3 of all organisations have managers who fail to appreciate the importance of H&S.

British Safety Council Survey

The Costs of Accidents at Work (HSG96)

Organisation Annualised Loss

Representing

 

Construction site Creamery Oil platform Hospital Transport company

 

£700,000 £975,336 £3,763,684 £397,140 £195,712

 8.5% of tender price

1.4% of operating costs

14.2% of potential output

 5% of running costs

37% of profits 

Misconceptions

• Accidents cannot be prevented

• We don’t have many accident

• Safety is expensive

• We are insured anyway

The Cost of Accidents

“If you think health and safety is expensive, try having an accident”

Sir Stelios Haji-loannouFounder and ex CEO easyjet

Causes of workplace accidents

• Pure chance theory

• Biased liability theory

• Accident proneness theory

• Domino theory

• Multi-causation theory

Accident causation - Heinrich

•888% caused by unsafe acts or omissions•110% by mechanical failure or physical conditions•22% by Acts of God

Updated Domino Theory(Bird & Loftus)

Lack ofManagementControl

Unsafe underlyingcauses

Unsafe acts,omissionsor conditions

Accident Injury, damagenear miss

Emphasis on management failure rather than individual failure

Multicausation Theory (Tree)

UnderlyingCauses

Unsafe Acts

Accident InjuryLoss

UnderlyingCauses

UnsafeConditions

Unsafe Acts / Omissions

• Operating without authority• Using faulty equipment• Failing to follow instructions• Horseplay• Failure to use PPE• Operating at unsafe speed

Unsafe Conditions

• Inadequate/missing guarding• Poor housekeeping• Defective equipment• Inadequate lighting• Unsuitable/damaged PPE• Trip hazards• Badly maintained equipment

Accident Forms

Minor Injuries

• All those injuries that do not fall into the major or three day categories are non RIDDOR reportable.

Accident Investigation

• To find the root & underlying causes to prevent a re-occurrence.

• Not to apportion blame.

• No legal requirement to investigate accidents.

4 steps of an Investigation

• Gathering the information• Analysing the information• Identifying risk control measures• The action plan and its implementation

Site Visit - Equipment

• Report form/check list• Notebook and pens• Tape recorder• Measuring tape• Cameras - instant/35mm/digital• Sample containers• Specialist equipment e.g. Draeger tubes, decibel

meter

Interviewing Witnesses

• Use a non-threatening place for the interview.• Put the witness at ease.• Explain clearly the purpose of the interview.• Ask easy, open questions which do not lead.• Ask what happened and listen without interruption.• Separate fact from opinion.• Be considerate tolerant and patient!• Close the interview by explaining what will happen next.• Make notes and ask for signature at end of interview.

RIDDOR 1995

Reporting ofInjuriesDiseases andDangerousOccurrencesRegulations

What you need to know about RIDDOR

• If you are an employer, or are in control of work premises or employees, you have a duty under RIDDOR.

• You have a duty to report some work related accidents, diseases and dangerous occurrences.

• Reporting some Accidents and ill Health at work is a legal responsibility.

When do I make a report?

If there is an accident / incident connected with work and involves one of the following:

• Death or Major Injury

• Over three day injury causing absence from work

• Notification of work related disease

• Dangerous occurrence

Death or Major Injury

• An employee, or a self-employed person working on your premises is:• killed• Suffers a major injury (including physical violence).

•• A member of the public is killed or taken to hospital

(due to your acts or omissions).

Over 3 Day Injury

An over three day injury is one which is not a major injury but results in the injured person being away from work or unable to complete his / her full range of normal duties.NNot counting day of injury, all other days which include days not normally worked including weekends.

Non-consensual Violence

• Resulting in death, major injury or more than 3 day injury.

• In connection with work

• Reportable

Injuries to non-employees

You need to report an accident that happens tosomeone who is not at work, eg a pupil or visitor, if:

• the person involved is killed or taken to hospital;

and

• the accident arises out of or in connection with the work activity.

Injuries to non-employees

An accident will be reportable if it is attributable to:

• work organisation (eg the supervision of a field trip);• plant or substances (eg lifts, machinery, experiments

etc);• the condition of the premises.

Accidents and incidents that happen in relation tocurriculum sports activities and result in pupils beingkilled or taken to hospital for treatment are reportable

Reportable Diseases

• Report in writing within 10 days using form F2508A

• Diseases listed in RIDDOR 1995

• Common reportable diseases include occupational dermatitis or asthma

Reportable Diseases

Examples

• Various WRULDs e.g. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Hand-arm Vibration Syndrome.

• Biological infections e.g. Hepatitis, Tetanus, Legionellosis

• Poisoning e.g by arsenic or lead• Cancers

Dangerous Occurrences

• Report by quickest practicable means followed by F2508 within 10 days (via ICC)

• Gas incidents use form F2508G

• Balfour Beatty tunnel collapse at Heathrow resulting in fine in excess of £1.2 million

Dangerous Occurrences

Examples

• Collapse of a crane or hoist• Overturning of a fork lift truck• Failure of a pressure system• Fire/explosion from an electrical short circuit• Collapse of a scaffold• Major gas leak• Collapse of a building

How to report an Accident or Incident

All accidents can be reported online at https://extranet.hse.gov.uk/lfserver/external/F2508IE but a telephone service remains for reporting fatalities and major injuries only. Call the incident contact centre on 0845 300 9923

Any Questions