How to manage incidents in the workplace

Wondering how to manage incidents in the workplace?

When encountering a workplace incident, there are a few requirements in order to report it accurately. The most important thing is not to panic. Reporting correctly can make all the difference – especially within the legal sphere. 

Types of incident

An incident is not necessarily a major injury or event. Importantly an incident can actually be a smaller signpost to a larger problem that might develop into the future. 

There have been four main types of incidents highlighted:

• Near misses

  Situations where people could have been injured, but, luckily nothing came to pass.

• No harm events

  
  Operational risks that all staff across an organization should be made aware of.

• Adverse events

  
  These kinds of incidents are related to medicines, medical devices, and vaccines.

• Sentinel events

  
  These are unexpected events that result in any type of harm

So, what should you do when you encounter an event?

Take action

It is best practice to have specific team members who’ve been allocated to take responsibility in case of an incident. This is useful to bypass the natural reaction when something happens: panic. 

The action that needs to be taken can vary from emergency to emergency, but the main thing is that there is an allocated person who can make sure it happens right away. 

Report the incident

Reporting the incident is the part of the process that ensures all the correct authorities stay correctly informed. Reporting protects employees from any future consequences that could happen as a result of the incident.

According to the statutory requirements, it is essential to report the following:

• Fatalities
• Injuries that require hospitalisation
• People exposed to chemicals
• Major spills or environmental hazard

Ensure the incident documentation is secure

Now that the event has been reported, it must be documented in the most secure fashion. 

The best solution is to use an incident reporting system, which can order, store and manage all documents associated with the incident. This system is a secured centralised repository, much more effective that paper-based safety statements which can still be found in use.

Investigation

Once the incident has been dealt with, and the report secured, it is good practice to assess the root causes of the problem. An investigation should be made so that preventative measures can be put in place to minimise the risk of it happening again.

This analysis, if carried out correctly, should identify any underlying issues that will help you manage incidents in the future.

Once you’ve investigated, you can then: 

• Make a response
• Plan and assign corrective and/or preventatives actions tasks
• Track completion
• Comply with injury reporting regulations.

Develop corrective actions to manage incidents

In the aftermath of many incidents, a lot of organisations report with a lag. Then, they forget all about it. Acting in this way is irresponsible and hinders any further investigation and work that might refine a better future response.

Corrective actions help to discuss what might have been done better, so that future accidents are preempted. Looking at the actions that can be corrective, to better predict and prevent these kinds of incidents occurring is a vital part of an incident reporting process.

Future steps to manage incidents at work

Reporting the incident is only the first part of the process. It is very important as an initial step, however the most important part happens after. The challenge for businesses is to assess the reasons for its occurrence and put in place preventative measures.

Incident reporting systems are the most proficient method to manage and report workplace accidents, so that the safety of workers is kept paramount. 

How to manage Work Health Safety

Workplace injuries don’t just cost people’s safety. They cost organisations a lot of time, money and productivity as well. This risk is heightened if the correct policies are not maintained. That is why Work Health Safety policies are the best measure to prevent injuries. 

Furthermore, legislation requirements within WHS in Australia need to be managed carefully. So it’s essential, as an employer, that you implement and monitor these WHS policies:

Keep employees informed about WHS policies

At a fundamental level, it is the responsibility of the employer to keep workers safe. Keeping them informed about the potential hazards in the workplace is the best way to do this.

There are multiple methods of providing this information:

• Provide you WHS policies and procedures as printed documents which they are expected to read, understand, and sign.
• Produce instructional manuals
• Publish reports – such as hazardous material reports.
• Provide specific training workshops
• Or diffuse the information electronically via an integrated WHS management system.

Whatever medium you choose to communicate safety information, it’s recommended that you use a professional and empathetic approach and voice. You might even want to create employee-led forums where questions and concerns can be aired. 

Do A Training Needs Analysis (TNA)

Running TNA helps you uncover the gap between the necessary skills and the current knowledge level of workers. It is the beginning of the process of ensuring employees have the capacity to perform their role safely and effectively.

TNA can be carried out by using various techniques:

• Using feedback from supervisors
• Questioning the team about their work tasks
• Directly observing whilst workers perform their task
• Referring to employment records
• Conducting formal interviews

Once you have completed the analysis, and targeted what employees need to know, you can start to create a training plan.

WHS Training   

Many instances of injury or accident can be prevented through the implementation and monitoring of WHS training programs. Training programs are a brilliant way to provide WHS knowledge. And, by using Learning Management Systems, you can tailor training modules to best suit your employees needs… 

Effective training programs instil the relevant knowledge, but also instills within workers the skills to actively monitor their work procedures and report any abnormalities that might be a cause of danger. 

When in the development phase of training, consider:

• All the correct legislative and regulatory requirements 
• Making suitable provisions for specific job task training
• Hazard identification, risk control, incident reporting procedures
• Consulting all the relevant parties that will be using the program

WHS Record maintenance  

Maintaining and updating the workplace health and safety records requires an effective system. With this in place, you can ensure that all the organisation’s records are kept correctly and continuous with the current WHS policies. 

Remember, all these steps have the prevention of life-changing injuries as their foundations. The safest sites to work on have good site records, providing a knowledge of what has gone on in the past, and how best to keep from similar incidents occurring again. 

Because of this, all employers are required to provide proof of these steps. And this is an ongoing process of compliance. 

Records are best kept electronically, using audit software, which allows them to be accessed, updated and shared much more quickly.

Collaborate to manage WHS policies

Despite the huge role safety software can play, there is still a lot to be said for engendering a culture of safety in the workplace. This is where collaboration between different teams and departments is a cornerstone. 

Make sure to utilise various different strategies, such as meetings and in-person training alongside your electronic WHS program. This will have a positive impact on the outcomes of your program. Focus on the entire organisation’s culture, not only on the nitty-gritty of single parts of the workplace. 

Most importantly, make sure the WHS information you are providing is correct and gives your workers the best chance of staying safe in their place of employment.