No. 6 RESPONDING WHEN THERE IS AN ACCIDENT
Some things to know before you give the talk:
Not every one knows what to do
when an accident occurs. For this reason, employees need educating on the
topic. Even “First Responders”, police officers, paramedics and fireman are
trained in emergency response. Never assume, that just because someone has had
previous training, they will respond according to the way they have been
trained. Training must be repetitious, practiced and repeated again.
Something else every supervisor
should know. Accidents, even minor ones, can strike fear in the heart of any
individual. Every individual responds differently to an accident. Some people
immediately go into action, some individuals “assess”, some panic, some cry for
“help”, some do absolutely nothing at all. There is no way to predict how an
individual will respond. Not even you can predict how YOU will respond. Every
accident scenario is different. Ordinary people became “heroes”, While other
individuals became pillars of support during 9/11/2001 in
So even with the best of training,
some people will fail and some people will step up to the plate. None-the-less,
every employee must be prepared and trained.
Be sure to choose a meeting place
that is adequate and affords no interruptions.
Keep your meeting to no less than
five minutes and no longer than twenty minutes.
Employees are more receptive to
talks that are informal, rather than “canned” or read. Read the subject matter
to be discussed, and then formulate your discussion points.
If you choose to select someone
else to conduct the meeting, give him or her a week’s advanced notice to
prepare for the meeting.
The moderator for the meeting must
make sure that he or she maintains control over the meeting. Tell everyone at
the beginning of the meeting how long the meeting will last and stick to the
topic and time schedule announced. (There is nothing worse than a long safety
meeting that is not relevant. Always value the employee’s time, especially if
they are attending the meeting on their normal time off from work). Some
employees will want to be more actively involved in discussions than others and
it is not fair that one employee dominate a discussion. It also helps to let
everyone know that they will be asked a question in the meeting and that their
active participation is expected when they are called upon.
What to discuss in the safety meeting:
Hopefully,
there won’t be any accidents involving anyone at work. But, this is a real
world, and accidents do occur. The very definition of an accident, “an
unplanned event”, makes “accidents” something that can never be planned in
advance.
Every
employee should know what to do when there is an accident. First and foremost,
no job, including this one, is worth an employee life or employee injury. No
employee should risk their personal safety in the job. First and foremost, you
should protect yourself from injury when there is a dangerous situation. Second,
get help. Third, make sure no one else gets hurt.
These
are three basic and easy to follow directives.
Every
accident scenario calls for an assessment of the conditions that caused the
accident. Police officers, fire fighters and trained “first responders” are
always taught to assess the situation before responding. You don’t want to
become a victim yourself. Sometimes, the assessment may require asking for
help. There is nothing wrong with asking for help, in fact is a preferred
action, to trying to do something alone.
In
as much as possible, try to warn others to stay out of the way. It is natural
for others to be concerned and curious, however, to many people involved in an
accident scene can exasperate responses and make the accident scenario worse.
If someone is not actually involving in helping, they should be asked to leave
or step to the side so others can respond appropriately. Too many people at an
accident scene can delay responses for assistance and it can also make a person
who is seriously injured go into “shock”. Covered mouths, short gasps of awe, panicked
looks are not good for the recovery of an injured person.
If
you know basic first aid, apply it, as appropriate, otherwise, get help…or send
someone for help, if necessary. If there is an injured person, and they are in
danger of further injury, and it is safe to move them, do so, otherwise, leave
the injured person in place and allow professionally trained individuals to
move the person. (Under the “Good Samaritan Laws”, recognized in all States,
you’re not liable for any injuries another person may incur, if you, in good
faith, are trying to move the injured person to a safer location.)
By
the way, does everyone know where the first-aid kits are located?
Make
sure the worksite is secure. Don’t resume normal operations unless instructed
to do so by a Supervisor. Supervisors are responsible for conducting the
initial accident investigation and must determine if and when work may resume. Don’t
leave work unless told to do so by a Supervisor; what you saw and heard may be
important and may need to be known or explained to others. Don’t start
discussing things with others, because you may influence what the other person
saw or heard. Also, gossiping does not help resolve any issues that may need to
be addressed.
It
may be necessary to conduct a formal accident investigation, so don’t tamper
with work tools, equipment or the accident site, as critical evidence could be
lost that might help determine how the accident occurred.
Be
prepared to write down what you saw, and heard. State only what you saw and
heard, not what others told you. Facts are important, so don’t embellish
things. You may be called upon later to repeat what you saw and heard. The
truth does not change, but embellishments and suppositions are difficult to
remember over a period of time. Writing things down, as soon as possible,
allows you to document facts before your memory fades or you are influenced by
the actions and words of others.
The
important thing to remember is that your safety and that of co-workers is important.
When an accident occurs, decisive actions must be implemented, communicated and
followed-through on, in an attempt to prevent and preclude another accident or
the situation getting worse. Every employee has this responsibility.
Remain
calm. Act responsibly. Follow directions.
Questions to Get Employees
Talking:
- Has anyone in the group ever
been involved in a serious accident? If yes, what role did you play?
- What do you think is the most
important thing to do when an accident occurs?
- What is there is no immediate
help available? Is it permissible to go for help?
- What is the one thing that makes
an accident scene unmanageable?
- When is it OK to move an
injured person? When is it NOT OK to move an injured person?
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