Accident/Incident Reporting
“AIR”
OBJECTIVES
Recognize the purpose of the new AIR form
Define reportable accidents, incidents and hazardous conditions
Describe the notification procedures for reports
Be able to locate the AIR form onlineProperly complete an accident, incident
or hazardous condition report
PURPOSE
To create a form that is unique to the Fire Department
To comply with Federal, State and City reporting requirements
Streamline the report distribution process
Improve reporting accuracy and timeliness
Identify accident patterns
Recognize potentially hazardous situations
Report and review near misses
What Is An Accident?
An unplanned, unwanted, but controllable event which disrupts the work process and causes
property damage or injury to people
Most everyone would agree that an accident is unplanned and unwanted. The idea that an accident is controllable might be a new concept. An accident stops the normal course of events and causes property damage or personal injury, minor or serious, and occasionally results in a fatality.
What Is An Incident?Near Miss
An unplanned and unwanted event which disrupts the work process and has the potential of resulting in injury, harm, or damage to persons or property.
An incident may disrupt the work process, but does not result in injury or damage. It should be Taken as a “wake up call”. It can be thought of as the first of a series of events which could lead to a situation in which harm or damage does occur.
Example of an incident: A 50 lb carton falls off the top shelf of a 12’ high rack and lands near a worker. This event is unplanned, unwanted, and has the potential for injury.
THE “TIP OF THE ICEBERG”
Don’t only report accidents. Incidents should also be reported and investigated. They were in a sense, “aborted accidents”.Criteria for investigating an incident: What is reasonably the worst outcome, equipment damage, or injury to the worker? What might the severity of the worst outcome have been? If it would have resulted in significant property loss or a serious injury, then the incident should be investigated with the same thoroughness as an accident investigation.
Accidents or injuries are the tip of the iceberg of hazards.
Report incidents (near misses) since they are potential “accidents in progress”.
Accidents
Incidents
Lack of safety leadership
Lack of supervision
Lack of Training
Diesel fumes
Rules not enforced
Poor work proceduresPurchasing unsafe equipment
No follow-up/feedback
Poor safety management Poor safety leadership
Didn’t follow procedures
Poor housekeeping
Horseplay
Ignored safety rules
Defective tools
Don’t know howNo MSDS’s
THE “ACCIDENT WEED”
Hazardous Conditions
Hazardous Practices
Did not report hazardEquipment failure
Root Causes
REPORTABLE ACCIDENTS/INCIDENTS
Any accident that results in damage to equipment, vehicles or property of the City of Kirkland
Any accident that involves a City of Kirkland employee and results in damage to equipment, vehicles or property not belonging to the City of Kirkland
Any accident resulting exposure, injury or death of a City of Kirkland employee
Near miss incidents, no damage or injuries, potential future accidents
ACTIONS AT THE ACCIDENT SCENE
Check for danger
Help the injured
Secure the scene
Contact your supervisor and the on-duty Battalion Chief
Contact Kirkland Police (if outside of KPD jurisdiction, call local police and KPD)
Identify witnesses
Take lots of pictures
Gather the facts
Complete required documents
First, make sure you and others don’t become victims! Always check for still-present dangerous situations. Then, help the injured as necessary. Secure the scene and initiate chains of custody for physical evidence. Contact your on-duty supervisor and Battalion Chief. Identify witnesses and physical evidence.
Accidents Causing Injuries or Death
Check for danger
Help the injured
Secure the scene
Contact Supervisor and Battalion Chief. If any employee is hospitalized overnight, the on-duty Battalion Chief(or designee) must notify Washington State Department of Labor and Industries within eight hours of the accident
If there is a fatality, the on-duty Battalion Chief(or designee) must notify Washington State Department of Labor and Industries within eight hours of the accident
Contact Safety 21 via dispatch, or phone
Accidents Causing Injuries or Death (continued)
In case of serious injuries or death, secure the site of the accident, preserve the scene for further investigation. Take pictures of the accident site
Provide personnel to assist in the L&I investigation
Accompany injured firefighters to the hospital
Insure that proper paperwork is completed (MIRF etc.)
Contact Safety Officer
INCIDENTS Near Misses
Secure the area to prevent a dangerous incident from turning into an accident
Notify your on-duty supervisor
Complete the new online “AIR” form
Notify the Safety Officer via email advising that a form is on the way
HAZARDOUS CONDITION REPORTING
A hazardous condition is considered a potential incident or accident. Nothing has happened yet (no near miss, injury, or property damage)
If possible, correct the situation at the time it is discovered
Secure the area to prevent people from being injured
Report the situation, using the AIR form, as soon as possible after discovering the hazardous condition
The supervisor is only required to sign the Hazardous Condition report if it is presented to him/her. If preferred, the person reporting the hazardous condition can remain anonymous. This is not acceptable for reports of hazardous conditions, accidents or incidents
AIR FORM REPORTING PROCESS
Locate the AIR form on the RGT Website under Forms-Kirkland
Once it is pulled up- click the “Highlight Existing Fields” icon
This will highlight the fields that are fillable
Choose the type of report by checking the appropriate box
Fill out the form completely online, together with the on-duty supervisor. Use the TAB key to navigate the fields
Do not try to save the document unless you “save as” another name
Print the document, sign and date it, and have the supervisor also sign it
The entire last page is a page for the narrative. Please be very detailed. Include pictures with the description if possible
AIR FORM REPORTING PROCESS
Continued Once completed and signed by you and your on-duty
supervisor, send the completed form to the Safety Officer
Notify the safety office immediately using email (Safe21) or phone call, for all reports. This allows the safety division to anticipate the report
All reports and notifications must be done on the same day as the event
If the injured party is not able to complete the report at that time, the supervisor will complete the detailed report as described. The injured employee must complete a report as soon as he/she is able
In addition to the instructions above, immediate notifications of serious injuries include the chief, deputy chiefs and safety officer
IMPORTANT POINTS TO REMEMBER
Safety is always first at the scene of an accident, incident, or hazardous condition
Reports must be completed on the same day as the event
The only person you need to send the report to is the safety officer. We will distribute the report from our office
Always notify your on-duty supervisor and Battalion Chief
Always notify Safety 21 when you have filled out a report. Use email Safe21 or call 3698 or 206-963-3001. Leave a detailed message if there is no answer.
Page three of the report is a full page, fillable, section that can be used for the narrative. Please be detailed in the narrative
The Safety Committee will review all submitted reports. The Designated Safety Officer may contact you for additional details prior to the next safety meeting
CONCLUSION
Like any new process, we expect some changes to be made to this form and/or the process as we receive constructive feedback from you. If you ever have any questions or suggestions please don’t hesitate to call or write me.
Officers- Please have your crew go through this process as a training exercise. There is no better learning tool than to actually go through the process to see how it works.
Thank you for your work!!
Mike Dettmer
425-587-3699
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