Toolbox Safety Talk: Incident Reporting

We all play a part in protecting the health and safety of ourselves and others in the workplace. The most important thing is everybody getting home safe and sound at the end of each day. Reporting of all incidents including the Onset of pain and discomfort, Near Misses and Hazards, is vital for us to be able to build a profile of the types of Hazards, Incidents and Near Misses which are faced by staff and contractors. We’ll use your reports to identify areas where we can work together to improve health and safety.

Discussion Points:

• All incidents, Near Misses and Hazards, must be reported to the Foreman onsite and the Max office, with all relevant paperwork completed as soon as possible
• Report all pain and discomfort as soon as it happens. It may feel like nothing at the time but without treatment can become something bigger than you thought
• Incidents include work-related injuries, illness, work vehicle accidents and damage, property damage and environmental damage caused by hazardous substances or pollutants.
• Near Misses are any work-related event where injury, illness or damage could have occurred if things had been different.
• The following must be reported to the Max Office as soon as they occur.
• Serious Harm Injury
• Lost Time Injury
• Medical Treatment Injury

Definitions and Terminology:

• Serious Harm: Any of the following conditions that amounts to or results in permanent loss of bodily function, or temporary severe loss of bodily function: respiratory disease, noise-induced hearing loss, neurological disease, cancer, dermatological disease, communicable disease, musculoskeletal disease, illness caused by exposure to infected material, decompression sickness, poisoning, vision impairment, chemical or hot-metal burn of the eye, penetrating wound of the eye, bone fracture, laceration, crushing
• Amputation of a body part
• Burns requiring referral to a specialist registered medical practitioner or specialist outpatient clinic
• Loss of consciousness from lack of oxygen.
• Loss of consciousness, or acute illness requiring treatment by a registered medical practitioner, from absorption, inhalation or ingestion of any substance.
• Any harm that causes the person harmed to be hospitalised for a period of 48 hours or more commencing within seven days of the harm's occurrence.
• Lost Time Injury (LTI): An LTI is any work-related injury or illness that results in one full day, shift or more loss from work. It does not include the day or shifts the LTI occurs or arises. This must be supported by a medical certificate from a registered doctor that the person is fully unfit for any work.
• Medical Treatment Injury (MTI): An MTI is an injury, illness or disease requiring treatment by a medical practitioner and which is beyond the scope of normal first-aid.
• First Aid Injury (FAI): An FAI is an injury requiring minor treatment on site