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#1 Posted : 11 April 2008 16:20:00(UTC)
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Posted By Philip Plume I am writing fresh from sending an employee off to hospital with, what appears to be a severe Angina attack. I understand that this is not reportable under riddor as it is not in connection with, or arising from work activities. Do we have to report this in our accident book? as it is not actually an accident and did not result from the work activity. Please let me know your thoughts. Thanks Phil
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#2 Posted : 11 April 2008 16:31:00(UTC)
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Posted By Amanda Personally I would not report it. I would keep all relevant information for future use if required.
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#3 Posted : 11 April 2008 17:28:00(UTC)
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Posted By Chris Packham I would ask myself the following questions: An accident book is to record accidents. Was this an accident? (Not in my view - it was a case of someone suffering from a health problem.) So if it was not an accident should it be recorded in the accident book? (Not in my view.) Chris
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#4 Posted : 11 April 2008 19:08:00(UTC)
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Posted By MP Did the person receive any First Aid? If so, I'd log it just as a record.
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#5 Posted : 11 April 2008 20:26:00(UTC)
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Posted By MP Grayson Was there a risk of an incident whilst the person was having chest pains? For example was s/he a FLT driver with a risk of crashing and squishing summit. If yes. Treat as a near miss and crack on.
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#6 Posted : 11 April 2008 22:47:00(UTC)
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Posted By David John Harris Was First Aid administered I would suppose the answer to this question is YES. Was it an Incident 'At work' I would venture to say Yes. Incidents and Accidents should be reported within the First Aid Report Book.
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#7 Posted : 12 April 2008 07:30:00(UTC)
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Posted By DJ Philip, I am afraid that I have to disagree with the previous responders. Your question is "do we have to report" and the answer is No. You only have to record work-related accidents in the accident book (BI 510). An angina attack is neither work-related, nor is it an accident. I totally agree with the previous responders though, to keep a record of the incident somewhere, particularly if first-aid was administered. This is not only good practice, but it would be essential information for e.g. the coroner if the person later died) as evidence of the steps the company has taken. At the very least it might stop the company being publicly criticised at an inquest. DJ
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#8 Posted : 14 April 2008 11:37:00(UTC)
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Posted By SAFE T I totally agree, you do not have to report it, yes, record the incident. However in light of this incident, I would suggest that you need to review your employee health records. Did you know this employee had an atopic health problem? Do you include individual physical abilities and health problems in your risk asessments? Worth considering health based toolbox talks, information sheets for employees/notice boards on health issues and lifestyle choice. Medication and lifestyle changes, such as giving up smoking and losing weight, can alleviate the symptoms of angina and prevent the condition from getting any worse. Do you have work based activities which have the potential to make identified health problems worse? Did the incident have a greater potential ? What happens next time ? A littlebit of info on Angina which may help: Why do some people have heart problems and others do not? Certain things can increase your chance of having atherosclerosis, angina, and other heart problems. Some of these factors can be controlled. Some things you cannot help. The following are things that increase your risk of heart problems: A family history of heart problems. Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) in other areas of the body. For example, you may have poor circulation (blood flow) in your legs, or carotid (neck) artery disease. You may have had a stroke in the past. Being overweight. Being a female who smokes and takes birth control pills. Being a female who has gone through the "change of life" (menopause). Cocaine use. Diabetes. High blood pressure. High cholesterol. Lack of exercise. Being male. Older age (over 55). Smoking now or in the past, or being exposed to cigarette smoke on a regular basis. What are the signs and symptoms of angina? Angina is a feeling of pressure, tightness, or pain. This discomfort usually happens in the center of your chest. Angina may also be felt in your neck, jaw, shoulder, back, or as pain or numbness in either arm. You may have discomfort that feels like indigestion (heartburn). You may have shortness of breath, sweating, or feel fear or anxiety before or during an angina attack. Angina may feel different to each person who has it. There are different types of angina: Stable angina: A person with stable angina usually knows what activities will trigger their chest pain. The pain often starts slowly and may last a few seconds to 30 minutes. Stable angina is often triggered by exercise or physical work. It may be triggered by extreme temperatures, heavy meals, or getting upset. Ten minutes of rest, or medicine (such as nitroglycerin, or "nitro") usually makes stable angina go away. Unstable angina: Unstable angina is chest discomfort that is not expected and may occur at rest. Unstable angina may be more painful, and last longer than the pain of stable angina. Some people get unstable angina without ever having stable angina. Stable angina that changes to unstable angina may mean that your heart is getting worse. Unstable angina is serious. If you have an angina attack that is worse or different than usual, you need to be seen in an emergency department right away. Prinzmental's or variant angina: This type of angina is caused by a spasm of a coronary artery. Microvascular angina: This is angina that occurs without narrowing, blockage, or spasms of the coronary arteries. A problem with tiny blood vessels that supply the heart is thought to cause this kind of angina. Atypical angina: Women and people who have diabetes may not have typical chest pain when they have a heart problem. The discomfort may be in an unusual place, or there may not be pain at all. With atypical angina, a person may have symptoms like shortness of breath or nausea as their only sign of a problem. What are the risks of having angina? If you do not get treatment your angina may get worse. You may have a heart attack or even die. Following your doctors advice decreases these risks. With treatment, you may decrease your pain and have a more normal lifestyle. Angina is a life-changing disease for the individual and their family. Accepting that they have a heart problem is hard. The individual and those close to them may feel angry, sad, or frightened. These feelings are normal. They should talk to their doctor, family, or friends about their feelings.
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#9 Posted : 14 April 2008 12:09:00(UTC)
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Posted By IOSH Moderator The Moderators would like to remind forum-contributors that copying material from one website to another is usually a breach of copyright. You should only contemplate doing this if you have researched the 'small print' on the source material very carefully to ensure that they are explicitly permitting such use. Regards Jane Blunt
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#10 Posted : 14 April 2008 12:21:00(UTC)
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Posted By Max Bancroft I require our First Aiders to complete one of our Accident/Incident/Unusual Occurrence forms whenever they respond to anything. Then we have a record of what happened and what they did even if not recordable under RIDDOR.
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