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Posted By Ian stevenson
A first aid trained member of staff approached me today, he queried the treatment book that is kept in the first aid box. The first aid box is accessible to all staff and the treatment book contains informtion relating to staff injuries. He quoted a case of a fellow worker who had been injured and treatment listed in the book, shortly afterwards the details of the injury had become common knowledge. How do we stand regarding the data protection act or worker confidentiality, is it acceptable to keep the book locked in a managers office, is it only a recommendation it is kept in the first aid box.
Regards
Ian
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Posted By Neal Robertson
Ian,
After a similar incident we replaced the accident book with an accident report form. The blank forms are easily accesible in case of emergency and contain the same information as required in the accident book. Once the form is completed it is treated as "Staff- In confidence" and filed centrally. It acts as the trigger document for an accident investigation/F2508 if required, and can be used to report near misses as well.
This means that the mens to report an acident is available to all staff, but sensitive information cannot be read by all and sundry.
Hope this helps.
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Posted By Sean Fraser Ian, There was a long discussion about this, now that the BI510 Accident Report Book has been revised and reissued to take account of the 1994 Data Protection Act. You have a legal duty to record your accidents and the use to the BI510 is a simple way to achieve this, although you can operate your own system as long as it meets the criteria - note that the BI510 comes under social welfare legislation as well as health & safety where it requires details of the injured person(s) to be recorded, so don't just rely on RIDDOR or similar H&S oriented regs. If you go ahead and use the BI510 book, you will need to use the newer version by December latest so make sure if you buy one now you get the latest version - make sure no shady operators try to fob you off with their soon-to-be outdated stock! To read the discussion on this forum, go to: http://www.iosh.co.uk/in...view&Forum=1&Thread=4793For the HSE press release, go to: http://www.hse.gov.uk/press/2003/e03064.htmHope that is useful. Sean.
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Posted By Ron Young
You should be aware that a new BI 510 has been publishd by HSE books that covers the requirements of the DPA. This book has removeable pages to allow for the completed forms to be securely stored. You must replace the old BI 510 by 31 December 2003.
ISBN Number 0-7176-2603-2
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Posted By Jay Joshi
Employers whose First Aiders used "the old style Accident Book" previously to record first aid treatment in the accident book should review First Aid treatment recording arrangements in view of the new accident book.
The HSE Guidance to the First Aid Regs sates:-
Para 56
RECORDS. It is good practice for employers to provide first aiders and appointed persons with a book in which to record incidents which require their attendance. Where there are a number of first aiders working for a single employer, it would be advisable for one central book to be used, though this would not be practicable on larger, well spread-out sites.
The information to be entered would include:
• date, time and place of incident;
• name and job of the injured or ill person;
• details of the injury/illness and what first aid was given;
• what happened to the person immediately afterwards (for example went home, went back to work, went to hospital);
• name and signature of the first aider or person dealing with the incident.
The information kept can help the employer identify accident trends and possible areas for improvement in the control of health and safety risks. It can be used for reference in future first-aid needs assessments. Such records may also be helpful for insurance and investigative purposes. This record book is not the same as the statutory accident book, though the two might be combined.
The above was valid with the old style acciident book, but not with the new accident book.
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Posted By Robert K Lewis
Ian
I am wondering if the other respondents have jumped to the accident report scenario correctly or whether you have had a person with a nursing background set up the systems. Almost without fail nurses have what is effectively a day book to record actual treatment and re-treatments and other actions concerning particular patients and events. It is separate from the accident report - Is this what you have? If so the rules are identical - No information may be passed to another party without the patients explicit consent. This includes line managers and other workers unless they have been designated by the company to handle 'sensitive personal' information, which all medical conditions and treatments are - however slight.
The book, if it is a day book, should only be available to designated first aiders, who should be also designated to handle this information. There has not been any cases on the misuse as yet but I think it may only be a matter of time before it happens. Alternatively you can remove personal information and treat it only as a use record
for the materials in the box.
Bob
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Posted By Ian stevenson
Robert I think you may be right, it is just a note book kept in the first aid kit. It records the name of the injured person,date, time and injury. I think the problem is joe bloggs does not want to be the butt of office jokes because he was stung on the bottom by a bee. But seriously speaking is this record keeping realy nessisary or could it be refined to Name, Date, what was used,does it realy need to be kept in the first aid box.
Regards in anticipation of relpies. Ian
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Posted By Sean Fraser
Ian,
I have added a note to the 1st Aid boxes that an accident report is required to be made out if the box is used - all First Aiders have been given the same instruction if they are consulted and provide any form of treatment. I know that some companies use breakable ties to tell if the box has been opened or not as well, so they know to check up if a report has been made.
As long as use is recorded, and in all probability it will be due to an accident of some sort, then you have no need to hold duplicate records in different places. Therefore you don't need a book in the box - after all, what does it achieve at the moment?
One reporting system makes it simple, and using the new BI510 book means you will be on the right side of the law as well.
Sean.
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