An Employers’ Guide to Workplace Accidents & Incidents (and Near Misses)

All accidents in the workplace come with financial implications. Minor, first-aid accidents may only attract minimal costs – a few supplies taken from the onsite first aid kit, a brief rest or tea break while that individual recovers from a slip or trip, equating to a short period away from their desk or normal activities. However, a serious accident at work will have a far more significant impact.

Having completed all the Risk Assessments that might be needed across different business operations and sites, your organisation will have endeavoured to identify all the significant hazards and implement appropriate control measures to mitigate them. Unfortunately, a workplace accident could still occur despite these measures.

While most companies will thankfully have relatively few workplace accidents each year, it is vitally important that the lessons from every accident are learned and communicated across the business to ensure that similar accidents do not recur.

Legislation requires most employers to keep records of accidents that cause injury to employees. There are also legal requirements placed on employers, the self-employed, and those in control of premises, to report certain specified accidents, dangerous occurrences, or occupational diseases to the enforcing authorities under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR).

A workplace accident is typically defined as an unplanned, uncontrolled event which results in injury.

• Fall from a set of ladders
• Cut finger whilst using a Stanley knife to open a sealed box
• Trip over a trailing cable resulting in a fall and a fractured wrist

All accidents in the workplace must be investigated by the manager of the injured person and/or the manager who is responsible for the area or operation where the accident occurred. The investigation must take place as soon as is practicable.

The objective of the investigation is to ascertain the cause of the accident and recommend appropriate steps to prevent a recurrence. To be effective, the investigation should establish the underlying factors that led to the accident at work and not simply address the immediate causes; however, the depth of the investigation should be proportionate to the actual or potential severity of the accident.

Where possible, the Injured Person (IP) should be invited to participate in the accident investigation, and where there are witnesses to the accident, they should be interviewed as part of the investigation and written statements obtained.

A workplace incident is typically defined as an unplanned, uncontrolled event which could cause damage but no physical harm (also known as a ‘near miss’ or ‘dangerous occurrence’).

The initial chain of events for both accidents and near misses in the workplace is very similar: Unplanned → Uncontrolled event. But it’s that final domino – was there harm or no harm – which determines whether we have an accident or an incident.

Examples of Incidents:

Imagine a trailing cable stretching across the main corridor on a given site.

• Scenario #1 – Someone trips over the cable, stumbles but thankfully doesn’t fall. This is an incident – an unplanned, uncontrolled event which did not result in physical harm.
• Scenario #2 – Someone trips over the cable, stumbles but this time does fall – maybe bruising their elbow. This is an accident – the unplanned, uncontrolled event has now resulted in physical harm.

All incidents (near misses) should ideally be reported regardless of severity or outcome. Many organisations are good at ensuring that all accidents are properly reported and investigated. Fewer organisations have robust procedures in place for ensuring that every near miss at work (incident) is properly recorded too.

Many studies have sought to explore the relationship between the number of serious workplace accidents and the number of more minor events. In this study, the data suggested that for every serious accident, there were likely to be 30 minor or first-aid accidents and possibly up to 300 near misses in the workplace.

There are three primary reasons for reporting workplace accidents and incidents:

1. To prevent a recurrence by investigating further and taking appropriate remedial action.
2. To comply with the law (certain types of accidents & incidents must be reported to the Health & Safety Executive (HSE)).
3. To provide statistical information for trend analysis – so that patterns/hotspots can be determined, and appropriate controls or actions can be implemented.

Consider the true cost of a serious accident to a business. Starting with the salary costs of an injured worker, there can also be loss of production, salary of any covering workers (e.g. temporary staff), overtime payments, lost management time (and time taken investigating the accident), legal costs, fines, and perhaps even an increase in insurance premium.

Serious workplace accidents can cost organisations tens of thousands of pounds – and with legislation governing Corporate Manslaughter now in place, fatal accidents could easily attract six- and seven-figure penalties.

All of this further underlines the need to report all incidents – these reports contain the relevant information needed to put things right before they become accidents and before they cost untold amounts of money. It’s good safety management and everyone should be encouraged to do their bit.

Studies suggest that 80% of all accidents can be attributable (in a significant way) to human error. This is why, when determining control measures in the risk assessment process, the hierarchy of control tries to implement permanent/robust measures that require little human involvement or adjustment. The more the control measures rely on a human to do the right thing, the greater the chance that said human may not do the right thing and some undesired consequence could occur.

Why do so many unsafe acts occur? This is often a product of a company’s health & safety culture. The stronger that culture, the more the employees are empowered and committed to doing the right thing. If an organisation appears to be treating health & safety with less importance, if there is little senior leadership from the top, then unsafe behaviours can creep into place. It is important to recognise the role that behavioural safety can play.

The purpose of accident and incident investigations is to identify the immediate causes, identify the underlying causes, and establish the root causes.

Step 1: Information Gathering

Step 1 of this process is Information Gathering. It is important to capture information as soon as possible. This stops it from being corrupted, e.g., items moved, guards replaced, etc. If necessary, work must stop, and unauthorised access be prevented. The goal is to talk to everyone who was close by when the adverse event happened, especially those who saw what happened or know anything about the conditions that led to it.

The amount of time and effort spent on information gathering should be proportionate to the level of investigation. Collect all available and relevant information. When carrying out an investigation it is always preferable to interview the people involved in the accident as soon as possible.

Step 2: Analysing the Information

Step 2 involves analysing the information that you have gathered. An analysis involves examining all the facts, and determining what happened and why. All the detailed information gathered should be assembled and examined to identify what information is relevant and what if any, information is missing.

To be thorough and free from bias, the analysis should be carried out systematically, so all the possible causes and consequences of the adverse event are fully considered. Organisational factors have the greatest influence on individual and group behaviour, yet they are often overlooked during the design of workplace accident and incident investigations.

Step 3: Identifying & Evaluating Risk Control Measures

Step 3 involves identifying and evaluating risk control measures. The analysis of the adverse event may have identified several risk control measures that either failed or that could have interrupted the chain of events leading to the adverse event if they had been in place.

The objective is to now draw up a list of all the alternative measures to prevent this, or similar, adverse events. Some of these measures will be more difficult to implement than others, but this must not influence their listing as possible risk control measures. The time to consider these limitations is later when choosing and prioritising which measures to implement.

Step 4: Final Report and Action Plan

Step 4 completes the final report and associated action plan. At the final stage in the investigation, senior management, who have the authority to make decisions and act on the recommendations of the investigation team, should be involved. An action plan for the implementation of additional risk control measures is the desired outcome of a thorough investigation.

The action plan should have SMART objectives, i.e., Specific, Measurable, Agreed, and Realistic, with Timescales.

Accident and incident investigations are not just about compliance; they are about continuous improvement. By thoroughly investigating every event, organisations can learn valuable lessons and strengthen their health and safety practices. This proactive approach helps in creating a safer environment, reducing the likelihood of future workplace accidents, and ultimately saving lives and costs.

Promoting a strong health and safety culture within your organisation is essential. Encourage all employees to report all accidents and near misses in the workplace, no matter how minor they may seem. Regular training, clear communication, and leadership commitment are key components in fostering a safe work environment. Remember, the goal is not only to comply with the law but also to ensure the well-being of everyone in the workplace.

Get Health & Safety Support with Accidents, Incidents & Near Misses

If you are unsure whether your organisation has all the necessary control measures in place or if you need assistance with managing accidents, incidents, and near misses in the workplace, now is the time to seek expert advice and support. Our team of health and safety professionals can help you assess your current practices, identify gaps, and implement effective solutions tailored to your specific needs.

Take the first step towards a safer workplace: get in touch with Avensure’s H&S experts for advice. Simply click here: Avensure Contact!