Notifiable Incident & Investigation and what happens when it goes wrong?
Our mission is to help you through the unknown by providing Health and Safety
solutions for your business that will result in keeping you and your team safe and
healthy at work. However we are all human and mistakes and misjudgments
occasionally occur. So what do we do when it goes wrong?
Respond
If the incident causes injury or fatality you need to act quickly.
1. Eliminate any energy source
2. Stop, Check, Fix - secure the site to ensure responders are not in
danger. Try not to move too much to avoid tampering with evidence.
3. Apply First Aid / Call emergency services
4. Alert other workers / management onsite
5. Lockdown the site - Follow your company emergency response and
evacuation plans
6. Try to keep calm and avoid panic. This can cause further injury to the
victim.
Notify
1. Call our emergency incident team to receive direct advice
and guidance. They are available 24/7 on 0800 SOS OHS (0800 767 647)
2. Call WorkSafe to notify them of the event on 0800 030 040
Prepare
Our emergency team will provide you with advice of how to secure your site and
brief your team of the next steps. Our team may advise you to seek advice from a
Human Resource, Public Relations and Legal Representative.
If you engage OHS Consultants, we will commence an investigation as quickly as possible.
It is always best to be as descriptive and co-operative as possible to ensure the best
outcome. The more we know, the better we can help.
Investigation
A WorkSafe investigation may be undertaken with an in-depth look into your
company practices and evidence of health and safety management.
All workers involved with the incident may be interviewed to get a broad
understanding of the actions undertaken. These interviews will be recorded and
maybe used as evidence. Any phone call or text records, security footage, vehicles
and equipment maintenance and use records will need to be obtained.
Again, it is always best to be as descriptive and co-operative as possible to ensure
the best outcome.
The investigation will be a lengthy process and could require the workplace / project
to be shut down until the investigation is complete. It can be an incredibly intense and
stressful process, but we try to keep it simple.
During the investigation our team will identify the actions leading up to the incident.
We investigate all possible actions that could be the cause of the absent or failed defense. This is often referred to as the “Swiss Cheese Model".
Any contractors and sub-contractors involved in the incident could also become involved in the incident investigation. Documentation and records of their actions and communications could also be required.
The investigation can be a long drawn out process. Our goal is to organize the required documentation into a report that illustrates the activities leading up to the incident and identify a cause for the incident to occur, why and how that cause occurred.
We will provide your management team and legal representatives with a report
of our findings. We can also assist with any improvements identified during
the investigation if required.
Need Assistance?
Our team are available if you require assistance with incident investigations, no matter
what size. We are happy to check over a report completed internally and provide advice on controls or provide advice of how to improve your investigations.
Often a 5 minute check by us, can save a injury or a life.
Please contact us if you require any advice or check out our website:
Website: www.ohsconsultants.nz
Email: help@ohsconsultants.co.nz
Phone: 0800 582 535
24/7 Emergency Helpline: 0800 SOS OHS (0800 767 647)