Incident Management

UNIVERSITY WIDE PROCEDURE

Occupational Health and Safety
- Incident Management -

1. Purpose

To describe the steps to be taken when confronted with an incident, injury or illness in the University of Ballarat.

These instructions, to be read in conjunction with the Occupational Health and Safety Procedures - First Aid Services and Emergency Management, aim to:

comply with common law and community expectations regarding the duty of care owed to injured or sick people;
ensure University compliance with relevant requirements of Occupational Health and Safety legislation; and
meet the requirements of the University of Ballarat Occupational Health and Safety Policy - Incident and Emergency Management.

2. Scope

The following procedure applies to all employees of the University of Ballarat involved in any incident (as defined) that takes place:

in any building or facility or on grounds owned, occupied or managed by the University; or
in the course of, or as a result of, any occupational, educational, commercial, or University-endorsed activity, whatever its location.

3. Definitions

"Incident": means any unplanned event within the scope of this procedure that causes (or has the potential to cause) an injury or illness and/or damage to equipment, buildings, plant or the natural environment. Incidents range from near-miss incidents to serious incidents and emergencies.

"Injury or illness": covers any injury or illness incurred by any person (called "casualty" in this procedure) whilst present on grounds of the University of Ballarat or engaged in University-endorsed activities. It includes the recurrence or aggravation of any pre-existing injury or illness, and any illness which becomes apparent on University grounds, even if unrelated to the University.

"University First Aider": means an employee of the University of Ballarat who:

holds a current level 2 first aid qualification issued by an accredited first aid trainer, or an equivalent qualification as determined by the Manager - Risk, Health & Safety; and
is included in the OHS Record - University First Aiders.

"As far as practicable": in this procedure, this expression means practicable having regard to:

the severity of the injury or illness and the number of casualties;
the availability of University First Aiders;
the availability of other trained first aiders, medical or para-medical personnel;
the availability of a next-of-kin, legal guardian, etc of the casualty or casualties; and
the wishes of any casualty or casualties.

4. Actions

4.1 General Procedure

In all cases of incident, the priorities that must inform any decision made by staff of the University of Ballarat are (listed in decreasing order of importance):

to preserve the health and safety of nearby people;
to render assistance to casualties, particularly by obtaining help from trained personnel (University First Aiders, Ambulance Officers, etc);
to preserve relevant evidence for any investigation; and
to report the incident in accordance with the Occupational Health and Safety Procedure - Incident Reporting.

For incidents that are likely to cause distress to the people involved, the University First Aider or the most senior member of University staff present must contact the Senior Counsellor on campus.

4.2 Specific Procedure - No Injury Incidents (Near-Miss or Material Damage Only)

In case of incident that does not cause any injury or illness, staff present at the scene must take all reasonable steps to ensure that the incident does not recur or worsen. Reporting requirements are outlined in the Occupational Health and Safety Procedure - Incident Reporting.

4.3 Specific Procedure - Injuries or Illnesses

In case of injury or illness, people present at the scene must organise, as far as practicable, the prompt examination of the casualty(-ies) by a University First Aider.

If a University First Aider is available (case A), the University First Aider assumes control of the situation. If no University First Aider is available (case B), the most senior University employee present at the scene assumes control of the situation. In consultation with the casualty - if conscious (see Notes 1 and 2) - the First Aider or University employee will determine the appropriate course of action. The following options would normally be considered (listed broadly in increasing order of severity):

(i) making casualties comfortable and allowing them to rest;
(ii) allowing casualties to self-administer treatment if they suffer of a diagnosed condition and carry appropriate medication;
(iii) contacting a next-of-kin or legal guardian to come and assist casualties;
(iv) advising casualties that they should seek examination by a medical practitioner;
(v) providing first aid treatment (case A), making use if necessary of first aid equipment supplied by the University;
(vi) transporting casualties to an appropriate medical service for prompt (but non-emergency) attention (see Note 3); and
(vii) calling an ambulance (emergencies).

Note 1: When consulting with a casualty, any factor thought to impair the casualty's judgment should be taken into account. Such factors include:
- disorientation, confusion or embarrassment experienced by the casualty as a result of the incident, the injury, or a medical condition;
- immaturity of judgment (e.g. in some children); and
- the possible side effects of pharmaceutical substances, or the possible influence of alcohol or drugs.
Where a casualty is thought to have an impaired capacity for sound judgment and steadfastly refuses to follow the recommended course of action, reasonable steps shall be taken to protect the person and others against the possible consequences of their actions. These steps may include contacting emergency services against the will of the casualty. Physical coercion should only be used in the most extreme situations and solely in an attempt to protect life and limb.

Note 2: In all cases where a casualty is unconscious, an ambulance shall be called, as far as practicable.

Note 3: If, in the opinion of the University First Aider (case A) or University employee (case B), a casualty needs to be transported to an off-campus medical facility for prompt attention and a next-of-kin or legal guardian cannot be contacted, the First Aider or the Manager/Supervisor may organise transport depending on circumstances. Ambulances or University vehicles should be used in preference to private vehicles. In general, casualties requiring medical treatment are deemed to be unable to drive safely. In such cases, unless the casualty repeatedly insists on leaving the campus or incident scene by their own means, the most senior University employee present will assign a reliable employee to drive the casualty to an appropriate medical facility. Only in exceptional circumstances should a staff member drive a casualty without a third person - usually a University First Aider - in the vehicle to monitor the situation and provide any necessary assistance.

For every person they attend to, University First Aiders must complete an entry into the First Aid Report that should be included in all University First Aid Kits. Every 3 months, University First Aiders shall provide a copy of the completed First Aid Report forms to the Manager - Risk, Health & Safety.

4.4 Specific Procedure - Death

If, following an apparently fatal injury or illness, there is any possibility that the casualty may still be alive, he/she must be treated as in paragraph 4.3 Injuries and Illnesses. In particular, the role of first aiders in such circumstances is to apply appropriate resuscitation techniques until relieved by personnel with higher medical or para-medical qualifications. An ambulance must be called immediately.

In case a person dies in an incident or is found dead, the scene of the incident must be preserved except where measures are required to prevent further injuries or illnesses. The Police must be called immediately.

5. Responsibility

All employees are responsible for the initial management of the incidents they witness.

University First Aiders are responsible for the subsequent management and treatment.

The Manager - Risk, Health & Safety is responsible for:

maintaining and updating this procedure as required;
developing, coordinating and delivering the training required by Supervisors, Managers and University First Aiders to fulfil the role assigned to them in this procedure; and
assisting Schools and Directorates in complying with this procedure.

The Director - Student Services is responsible for developing, implementing and maintaining internal procedures for the provision of counselling and other support services for critical incidents.

6. Policy Base

Occupational Health and Safety Policy - Incident and Emergency Management

7. Associated Documents

Occupational Health and Safety Procedure - Emergency Management

Occupational Health and Safety Procedure - Incident Reporting

8. Forms/Record Keeping

Title	Location	Responsible Officer	Minimum Retention Period
First Aid Report	Risk, Health & Safety Department	Manager - Risk, Health & Safety	Destroy 15 years from date of incident

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Warning - Uncontrolled when printed! The current version of this document is kept on the UB website.

Authorised by: University Health and Safety Policy Committee
Maintained by: Manager - Risk, Health & Safety
Review Date: Dec-2007

Original Issue: 29/02/2000
Current Version: 04/06/2007

Occupational Health and Safety - Incident Management -