Injury / Incident Investigation CAA HSU INFO 5.3 Rev 02: 08/09
Contents Flowcharts Forms Injury/Incident Investigation Injury/Incident Form Investigation Form Serious Harm Notification Form Definitions Serious Harm Temporary Severe Loss of Bodily Function
Injury/Incident Flowchart Employee reports an injury or incident INCIDENT INJURY Serious Ensure they get appropriate first aid and / or treatment, and ensure the safety of others. Minor If Serious Harm (see definition) notify CAA or DoL to give advice of the event; Phone or fax Complete the Injury/Incident Form Complete Serious Harm Notification Form and send Use the Investigation Form Investigate to find out what caused and contributed to the injury or incident. Feed results back to employee Action health and safety issues identified.
INVESTIGATION FLOWCHART Effective investigation can help you develop controls, define trends and find ways to prevent similar events from happening. START What, when, how, where, who, why...? Begin the investigation into the injury/incident. Use the Investigation Form Collect information and ask open-ended questions Consider the factors contributing to the injury/incident. Describe what key factors were involved. Write down what needs to be done to avoid a repeat of the situation Who will do it When will it be done Make sketches, maps, take photos, conduct interviews. Examine equipment. Check records Training records Job procedures, practices Maintenance logs/records Was it... The task, including people factors The system, environment, equipment The culture (how we do things here, e.g. Processes, decisions) Do you need to... Review hazards and their controls Guarding Maintenance Work practices Training PPE Signage Report or feedback to Manager, Injured person, H&S committee etc END
INJURY/INCIDENT FORM INCIDENT DETAILS Incident type: Near Miss Injury Illness Severity: Minor (First Aid) Moderate (1 to 4 days off work) Potentially Serious Serious (see Serious Harm definition) Unknown What Happened? What do you think caused or contributed to the incident? Personal Details Name: Date of Birth: M /F Phone: Date and Time of Incident: / Body Part: Shade the part of the body that is injured Injury Details Injury Type: (Tick) Ache/pain (gradual) Ache/pain (sudden) Amputation Broken Bone Bruising incl crushing Burns/scalds Chemical reaction Choking/suffocation Concussion/brain injury Cut (infected) Cut (not infected) Dental injury Dermatitis Dislocation Fatal Foreign Body (eye, ear, nose) Inhalation disease (asbestos/lead) Hearing Loss (noise induced) Poisoning Strain/Sprain Other: Multiple Injuries
INVESTIGATION FORM Health and Safety Investigation Details Short title / description of injury/incident: Information Details Describe what information you have collected about the injury/incident: (who is injured, witnesses, interviews, observations, photos, notes, re-enactments.) Analysis Describe what key factors/hazards contributed to the injury/incident: (Consider tasks, people factors, systems, environmental factors, equipment, culture, weather, etc.) Action Details Describe what needs to be auctioned to fix the situation: (What changes will be made, who approves them, who needs to be informed about them.) Action Plan Assigned to: Date Action Due: Action Completed: Does the Hazard Register need updating? Y / N Updated On: REPORTING DETAILS: Has CAA / DoL been advised? Y / N Date Advised: Sig: Title:
Form of register or notification of circumstances of accident or serious harm Required for section 25(1), (1A), (1B), and (3)(b) of the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992 For non-injury accident, complete questions 1, 2, 3, 9, 10, 11, 14 and 15 as applicable 1 Particulars of employer, self-employed person or principal: (business name, postal address and telephone number) 11 Agency of accident/ serious harm: machinery or (mainly) fixed plant mobile plant or transport powered equipment, tool, or appliance non-powered handtool, appliance, or equipment chemical or chemical product 2 The person reporting is: material or substance an employer a principal a self-employed person environmental exposure (e.g. dust, gas) animal, human or biological agency (other than bacteria or virus) 3 Location of place of work: bacteria or virus 12 Body part: head neck trunk upper limb lower limb multiple locations systemic internal organs (shop, shed, unit nos., floor, building, street nos. and names, locality/suburb, or details of vehicle, ship or aircraft) 13 Nature of injury or disease: fatal 4 Personal data of injured person: (specify all) Name fracture of spine puncture wound other fracture poisoning or toxic effects Residential address dislocation multiple injuries sprain or strain damage to artificial aid head injury disease, nervous system Date of birth Sex (M/F) internal injury of trunk disease, musculoskeletal system 5 Occupation or job title of injured person: (employees and self-employed persons only) 6 The injured person is: an employee self a contractor (self-employed person) other 7 Period of employment of injured person: (employees only) 1 st week 1 st month 1-6 months 6 months-1 year 1-5 years Over 5 years non-employee 8 Treatment of injury: None First aid only Doctor but no hospitalisation Hospitalisation amputation, including eye disease, skin open wound disease, digestive system superficial injury disease, infectious or parasitic bruising or crushing disease, respiratory system foreign body disease, circulatory system burns tumour (malignant or benign) nerves or spinal chord mental disorder 14 Where and how did the accident/serious harm happen? (If not enough room attach separate sheet or sheets.) 9 Time and date of accident/ serious harm: Time am/pm Date Shift Day Afternoon Night Hours worked since arrival at work (employees and self-employed persons only) 10 Mechanism of accident/ serious harm: fall, trip or slip hitting objects with part of the body sound or pressure being hit by moving objects body stressing heat, radiation or energy biological factors chemicals or other substances mental stress 15 If notification is from an employer: (a) Has an investigation been carried out? yes no (b) Was a significant hazard involved? yes no Signature and date / / Name and position (capitals)
Serious harm: Definition Serious harm is defined in the Act as death or harm of any of the following kinds: 1) Any of the following conditions that amounts to, or results in, permanent loss of bodily function or temporary severe loss of bodily function: respiratory disease; noise-induced hearing loss; neurological disease; cancer; dermatological disease; communicable disease; musculo-skeletal disease; illness caused by exposure to infected material; decompression sickness; poisoning; vision impairment; chemical or hot metal burns of eye; penetrating wound of eye; bone fracture; laceration; crushing. 2) Amputation of a body part. 3) Burns requiring referral to a specialist registered medical practitioner or specialist outpatient clinic. 4) Loss of consciousness from lack of oxygen. 5) Loss of consciousness or acute illness from absorption, inhalation or ingestion of any substance, requiring treatment by a registered medical practitioner. 6) Any harm that causes the person to be hospitalised for 48 hours or more, commencing within 7 days of the harm's occurrence. Temporary Severe Loss of Bodily Function Overall the judgement on whether an employee has suffered temporary severe loss of bodily function is determined by whether there has been an actual loss of bodily function, and this will involve the employer (or representative) making a judgement. Those who need to determine if temporary severe loss has occurred will need to answer the following questions: Is the employee suffering from pain or health impairment which is significantly more than discomfort? Is the pain or health impairment severe enough to prevent an employee using part of the body, i.e. movement prohibited by pain, respiratory distress, etc? Is the employees condition likely to be temporary? If the answer to these three questions is Yes, then the event should be notified in terms of Section 25 of the Act.