Every workplace wants to keep accidents to a minimum — but sometimes they are unavoidable! It is essential – no matter how minor the accident is – to report and record all workplace accidents.
If you are injured at work, time is of the essence…you must report the accident to your workplace as soon as possible. However, every workplace will have their own process and reporting system for accidents. Do you know how to report an accident in your workplace?
At Weifield, we always tell our team – it is important to familiarize yourself with what Weifield procedures are! This is important because knowledge of procedures = fewer accidents + higher productivity.
It may help to first understand the technical term for what an accident is….
- An ‘accident’ is any unplanned or uncontrolled event that results in harm
- Accidents are generally caused by unsafe acts, unsafe conditions, and failure to follow instructions (or a combination of all)
You may be wondering – why do accidents need to be reported?…
- Accident reports provide answers to the questions of what, where, when, who, and how the accident occurred
- Reporting all workplace injuries is important, because what seems minor at the time can get worse and lead to long term injury or illness
- Failure to report accidents can also lead to other workers being exposed to the risk of a similar accident happening to them
- Reporting allows investigations to take place to help identify causes and take actions to prevent recurrence
Once reported, why investigate an accident?
- One of the most important reasons for investigating accidents is to ensure the safety of workers — because if you can identify the reasons why an accident occurred, you can put preventative actions in place to reduce the risk of the same or similar accident happening again
- Investigating accidents also allows companies to identify potential hazards at the workplace – including certain trends/the causes of accidents – and prevention programs can be established
KEY TAKEAWAY: Everyone on a job site must report all accidents, no matter how small. Be familiar with your company’s accident reporting procedures — accidents can often be prevented by reporting and investigating their causes. The main objective of reporting is to learn from the accident and prevent it from happening again! Until next time…Work Safe & Be Safe!
