Reporting and investigating accidents and incidents

Investigating and analysing work-related accidents and incidents, is an essential component in managing health and safety in the workplace. When an accident or incident occurs, it often means that current control measures are not enough. By identifying the root cause of accidents and incidents and analysing trends, any further protective and preventative control measures required can be identified and put in place to prevent recurrence.

How to avoid and manage Accidents, Incidents and Dangerous Occurrences

Under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005, the employer and persons in control of places of work must prepare a safety statement, which is a written action programme for safeguarding the health and safety of employees while they work. It details how health and safety is managed in the workplace.

The Safety Statement must include risk assessments which are a careful examination of what in the workplace could cause harm to people so that preventative and protective measures can be identified and put in place.

In health and social care, hazards can be broadly classified into 4 main categories: 

1. Biological, for example, exposure to infected blood and body fluids or air borne pathogens.
2. Chemical, for example, exposure to sterilising agents.
3. Physical, for example, slips, trips and falls.
4. Psychosocial, for example, violence and aggression and work-related stress.

Preparing, implementing and keeping the Safety Statement and risk assessments up to date are important steps in managing health and safety.

Reporting Accidents and Dangerous Occurrences and the Legislative Requirements

Under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) (Amendment) Regulations 2016 all employers and self-employed persons are legally obliged to report the injury of an employee (including agency workers) as a result of an accident while at work. Injuries must be reported if your employee is unable to carry out their normal work for more than three consecutive days, excluding the day of the accident.  In calculating the days, weekends and other non-working days should be included.

Examples of reportable accidents are:

• An employee, which includes a trainee, who normally has Saturday and Sunday off work, is injured on Wednesday and returns to work the following Monday.
• An employee who is on shift work, one week on followed by one week off, sustains an injury on the last day of their working week. The injury results in the employee being unfit to carry out their normal duties for more than three consecutive days excluding the day of the accident.
• A driver or a passenger is involved in a road traffic accident while driving or riding in the vehicle in the course of work and he is out of work for more than three days.
• An employee, while engaged in a patient moving and handling activity on Monday, hurts her back. She returns to work on Thursday but she can only do light duties for the next week. Even though she was not absent for more than three days, she could not perform her normal work for more than three days.

Where a work-related sharp injury results in an employee being prevented from carrying out their normal work for more than three consecutive days, it must be reported online using the IR 1 form. Where this injury does not prevent an employee carrying out their normal work but where it could cause severe human infection/human illness, a Report of Dangerous Occurrence, may be used to report the incident to the Health and Safety Authority.

There are specific requirements for reporting accidents, incidents and case of disease involving biological agents under the biological agent Regulations. Refer to www.hsa.ie for more information.

Investigation and Corrective Actions

The organisation should establish procedures for investigating all accidents, incidents and dangerous occurrences to identify their causes, including possible deficiencies in the health and safety management system. Those responsible for investigating accidents, incidents and dangerous occurrences must be competent to do so.

There are five stages in an investigation:

1. Gather information
2. Analyse the information
3. Identify suitable risk control measures and
4. Prepare an action plan and implement the control measures.
   • Assign someone to take responsibility for the implementation of the new control(s)
   • Record any new control measure(s) in the Safety Statement and inform all those affected by the work activity of the new control measure(s)
5. Monitor effectiveness to ensure that the control measures eliminate or reduce to as low a level as is reasonably practicable, the likelihood or recurrence of an accident, incident or dangerous occurrence.

Further Information

• Accident and Dangerous Occurrence Reporting - Health and Safety Authority
• Access the HSA Online Accident Reporting System here
• Access the Dangerous Occurrences Form here
• Accident, Incident and Disease Reporting - Health and Safety Authority
• Accidents and Behaviour - Health and Safety Authority