The “accident book”: it sounds very ominous, doesn’t it? The workplace accident book actually serves a very important purpose so it’s essential for employers to know how to use it effectively.
In this article, we’re going to go through the what, why, who, and when of the HSE accident book so you can keep calm and fill it properly in the case of a workplace accident.
What Is An Accident Book?
The accident book is a formal document that is used to record the details of any accidents that occur on the work premises, whether it be to an employee or a visitor. It’s quite comprehensive so there’s a fair amount of information that you’ll need to gather in order to fill it out adequately.
To summarise, you’ll need the following main bits of information:
- The contact details of the injured person and the of the person filling it out.
- Details of the accident – the date it occurred, time, and location.
- Details of the injury sustained:
- What type of injury is it?
- Where on the body is the injury sustained?
- How severe is the injury – did the injured person fall unconscious/need to be resuscitated/be hospitalised?
- How did the accident happen?
- What events led up to the accident?
- Was it caused by working conditions/faulty equipment/stress or fatigue?
- What actions were taken to deal with the accident and injury aftermath?
- Supporting evidence e.g. CCTV footage, photographic evidence, cleaning logs.
Why Is It Important To Report Accidents At Work?
It’s important to report accidents at work, logging them in the accident book, for a number of reasons.
Firstly, it helps to cover your workers as well as your company as a whole in case of legal backlash. The evidence can be used in compensation claims, for both employees and for employers if the accident was the consequence of faulty equipment, for example.
Additionally, the accident book is a record which can be used to track trends in accidents so that common threads can be identified and prevented.
The ultimate point of the accident book is to prevent accidents from happening again, as well as recording the details of those that have already occurred.
Who Should Fill In The Accident Book?
The accident book can be filled out by anyone, but it should be checked by the qualified first aider in your workplace.
It’s more important that the details written in the accident book are accurate, rather than who fills it out. Ideally, someone with first-hand involvement in the accident would write the record.
When Should The Accident Book Be Filled Out?
It’s best to fill the accident book out when the events of the accident are still fresh in the minds of those involved. This way, important details won’t be left out.
Treatment of the injured person and cleaning up of the accident scene, however, should always take priority over filling out the accident book!
If the injury sustained falls under a category of RIDDOR reportable injuries, you’ll need to fill out the accident book and submit a RIDDOR report as soon as possible.
Accidents Happen… But They Don’t Need To!
Keeping on top of recording any accidents that happen in your workplace will help you to prevent future accidents occurring for the same reason.
It might seem like a pointless paperwork exercise, but the accident book serves a real, useful purpose and should be prioritised.
If you are in management and looking to learn in more depth how you can keep your employees safe, we offer IOSH Edinburgh and Glasgow courses that will fully prepare you! In addition to being prepared to help your employees with their physical health in the workplace, we also provide training for mental health first aid too. We’ve also got a full series of toolbox talks available on our blog for you to work through with your employees and colleagues.
Contact us today if you have a health and safety training query or request.
