3.1 Incidents
- 3.1.1: Responsibilities
- 3.1.2: Incident Reporting - Internal
- 3.1.3: Incident Notification - External
- 3.1.4: Investigation & Corrective Action
- 3.1.5: Reviewing information about Incidents (hazards, near-misses, minor incidents & injury / illness)
- 3.1.6: First Steps in the claims process
- 3.1.7: Links to Incident / Injury Information, Samples and Resources
Overview
We prevent incidents and prevent injuries … but if an injury
does occur, we do what we can to support the injured worker
and prevent further harm.
We know that a poor response to a report of injury sets the scene for a problem claim, whereas consistent, positive responses and a clear pathway for return to work provide a firm foundation for recovery.
In the Incidents section, you will find:
- an overview of incident management, including
- an incident flow chart
- description of internal and external reporting requirements
- incident investigation, corrective action, and information analysis
- the first steps in the claims process
- samples and resources associated with:
- incident / injury notification, including a sample incident form
- incident investigation
- claims
- an information pack for injured workers
- resolving problems about workers compensation
3.1.1: Responsibilities
The employer, the employee and the insurer each have certain responsibilities in relation to injury management.
Employer |
Employee |
Insurer |
---|---|---|
For example…
|
For example…
|
For example…
|
Links
- WorkCover:
- MHCC:
Incidents - Flow Chart
We take action to prevent harm when we are aware of a hazard or incident, and make notifications as needed.
3.1.2: Incident Reporting - Internal
What needs to be reported to the employer?
Identify and record all WHS incidents …. whether or not these cause injury or damage
- All hazards (anything that has the potential to cause ill health or injury)
- All near-misses (events that do not cause injury but have potential to do so)
- All minor incidents (events that cause a minor injury of a first aid nature)
- All injuries (events that cause an illness or injury requiring medical attention)
How can incidents be reported to the employer?
Formal methods may include:
- verbally to the line manager
- via an Incident Form which enables reporting of incidents,hazards and near misses - or via separate forms for each
- register of injuries (see below)
Informal methods may also be considered to be a type of reporting.
- for example, if a supervisor overhears a conversation by workers about a hazard or near miss that has not otherwise been reported, that supervisor may treat it as an informal report, and ask staff to complete the appropriate form.
Register of Injuries
The injury register must include the following:
(a) name of the injured worker
(b) the worker's address
(c) the worker's age at the time of injury
(d) the worker's occupation at the time of injury
(e) the industry in which the worker was engaged at the time of
injury
(f) the nature of the injury
(g) the cause of the injury.
3.1.3: Incident Notification - External
(Drawn from WorkCover Reporting an Incident or Injury)
3.1.4: Investigation & Corrective Action
Take action to prevent further harm by:
- investigating what contributed to the incident and
- taking corrective action
We conduct thorough investigations to learn the root causes of the incident, take immediate action to minimise harm, and look for ways to improve processes to prevent similar incidents from occurring again.
Links
NDS:
WorkCover:
- Incident/Near miss investigation form - template
- WorkCover NSW investigations - What they mean to you: Factsheet
3.1.5: Reviewing information about Incidents (hazards, near-misses, minor incidents & injury / illness)
What sort of information should be analysed?
Examples of incident information to be analysed may include:
- Who was involved
- What happened (or nearly happened) and Why (cause)
- Where and when it occurred
- Equipment involved
- Corrective action
- Impact (eg hazard, near miss, minor incident).
In addition, sick leave data, climate, and staff health status (eg via survey) may also be included in some analyses.
The analysis may reveal trends such as:
- A number of staff experiencing the same minor, emerging injury (may indicate ergonomic issues)
- Timing and/or equipment patterns
- The same corrective action being repeated (may indicate a system/process issue)
We analyse incident information monthly and report it to the
senior management meeting. We incorporate information from
analyses into the risk management system.
3.1.6: First Steps in the claims process
3.1.7: Links to Incident / Injury Information, Samples and Resources
- Incident / Injury Notification
- MHCC:
- Initial Injury Notification
- Sample Incident Form
- Notifying the Insurer
- Notifying WorkCover
- NDS:
- WorkCover:
- MHCC:
- Incident Investigation
- Claims
- Other Resources