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Posted By Chris Mac
Morning,
Bit of advice please.
An employee has entered an accident in our accident book due to 'feeling a bit ill', so the employee then went home. So no accident, as such, or injury occured.
Now legally do we have to retain this accident record due to the fact it is has been documented, is it even classed as an accident?? (I realise could be initial symptons of SBS etc)
Advice and opinion welcomed,
Thanks
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Posted By Chris Mac
To clarify the employee is an office based employee, not shop floor etc.
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Posted By srd
I would have thought that the accident book is for accidents and not cases of ill health, which should be recorded elsewhere.
Stephen.
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Posted By Tabs
Not classed as an accident, but there is no harm in keeping it is there?
Perhaps it's just the hoarder in me, but I never through stuff away - especially records.
Never know when they might be referred to.
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Posted By Chris Mac
It affects our statistics that is all. So there is no legal obligation based on the face it's been entered so has to be kept.
As you mention, it is not an accident but a case of ill health.
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Posted By Tabs
Keep it, write accross the front in big letters "Not Accident" file it, and forget it. Your stats need never know *wink*
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Posted By Chris Mac
Cheers Tabs.
Appreciate all your responses
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Posted By David Bannister
An accident book is for employees to be able to record accidents so that they may be entitled to State Benefits and you are obliged to have a system available for that purpose. If you wish you can make a note on the entry to the effect that this is a sickness not an accident.
If a single entry is going to make a significant difference to your internal arrangements for measuring performance then why not simply ignore it? If that sets a precedent that you would rather not do then you may need to amend your system.
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Posted By David Bannister
Once again I've been beaten by someone with quicker fingers. Tabs got there before me.
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Posted By Paul Duell
I'd do as others have said and mark the form "Not a workplace accident", and not show it in the stats.
But I'd also keep the form, in case in 3 years time some auditor or inspector asks me why accident form number 12345 hasn't been retained.
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Posted By AlisonSM
Could the ill health be related to a reportable illness? (i.e. what was actually wrong with the person).
I'd ask for clarification from the person who completed the form and add this to the end(as an attachment if necessary). That way if they were to come back at a later date you can prove that an investigation was performed and that the illness was not related to the work performed e.g. the person had a cold / migraine headache etc...instead as you may not be able to recall the details in a years time!
It's better to encourage over-reporting in my book. Yes it increases the stats but you can counter-act that by stating that of the A reported, B were ill health (not related to work performed), C were related to violence or aggresssion, D were near misses, E were accidents without injury, F were accidents with injury but not reportable under RIDDOR, G were accidents reportable under RIDDOR etc so a small percentage of those actually reported.. you can then say what control measures were implemented as a result (or changes in policy / procedures).
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Posted By Bob Shillabeer
Before you discount the report find out about the illness, was it caused by something during work?? Never discount any entry in the accident book, check it out and confirm it is not the result of a work activity, some accidents may look like ill health but what has caused the ill health. Check it out before consigning it to the dustbin.
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Posted By Chris Mac
I would obviously not put it in the 'dust bin'.
Regarding the above comment, I believe you are missing the point (unlike others) that the issue is, this is not an accident, more an incidence of ill health of which will be initially monitored and dealth with by HR, any issues that do arise may then become EHS/OH.
Regards
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Posted By Bob Shillabeer
Sorry to be pedantic, but don't dismiss any entry in the accident book withoiut first doing a check toensure it isnotthe result of an accident. From my experience HR will simpleput into a fileand donothing until the claim arrives (doing one now). Check and investigate every entry into the accident bookthat way youwon'tmiss the one that blows your company out of the water orgets youintotrouble with the law.
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Posted By AlisonSM
Agree with Bob, do a quick investigation (an e-mail or phone call would suffice).
Illness not work related..write on file saying as much, if it is....
Also, I don't think people that have responded have "missed the point". They are merely offering a suggested route to take. If you don't want to go down it, that's fine, it's your call but you did ask for opinions.
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