Casualties

At all times remember the privacy and dignity of any casualty, and train staff to screen the casualty from bystanders and help first aid staff to remove them to a private treatment area as soon as it is safe.

Recording details

I create an accident report form and take advice from the insurers and local authorities as to what details to record. I generally include an associated risk assessment form to accompany the accident recording form, because the fact that there has been an accident tends to point to an unprotected or unknown hazard somewhere.

If there are any accidents or reported injuries, you should be collecting as much information as possible and noting the name and address of the casualty, anyone involved but not apparently injured and any witnesses. If possible obtain a short statement from witnesses for yourself and for your insurer.

Where there has been an accident or injury, your duties when responding to it are

• to provide medical assistance to any casualty,
• to obtain details of the casualty,
• to record details of the accident,
• to record details of the circumstances leading up to it,
• to record details of witnesses and obtain a short statement,
• to report the incident or accident to the landowner and your insurer,
• if possible to take pictures or video images of the scene,
• to risk assess the area and equipment etc. involved,
• to take remedial action to prevent further incidents or accidents, and
• to record the detail of the risk assessment and remedial action.

It is vital that a member of staff should protect the scene while the casualty is being removed for first aid treatment and to await the arrival of a supervisor who has been trained in risk assessment. Where possible as long as there is no immediate risk to anyone, before anything is touched I would try to take photographs or video images from all angles to show the site and circumstances of the accident or incident for later inspection.

The risk assessor should have been given details of the accident/incident and the full circumstances and should then perform an immediate and detailed risk assessment.

You should be aware that similar equipment or circumstances elsewhere on site may be faulty and should be attended to. For example if a public address tower has collapsed, injuring somebody, event staff should immediately be sent to protect people around other masts that may have the same defect. Those other masts and similar equipment should be checked as soon as possible and/or fenced off if there are doubts as to safety. You should also note that if it was contractor’s equipment such as masts, tents or temporary fencing that has failed and caused the injury or incident the representative of that contractor and your insurer should be informed immediately.

Your second duty is to everyone else on site, so you should undertake an immediate risk assessment of the location and circumstances and if necessary take remedial action to ensure that there are no other accidents or injuries caused by the same problem.

Your third and final duty is to report the incident to your insurers and the landowner with as much information as possible.

Accident form

You may wish to devise an accident form to record appropriate details. The form outlined below contains the details I would expect to record for any accidents or even incidents that do not actually result in injury! This form will take the place of the ‘accident book’ that most people are familiar with from their work place.

SOUTH BUDLEY STEAM EXTRAVAGANZA
Accident form
(circle as appropriate)
Paying public – Staff member -Volunteer – Contractor – Exhibitor
Other (please write in)
Casualty name
Age
Date of birth
Address
Phone number
Date of incident	Time of incident
Date reported	Time reported
Exact location
circumstances
Was there any faulty equipment/defect involved?
Equipment details (including supplier, erector)
Were photographs taken? If yes, give details	Yes	No
Did casualty seek first aid treatment on site?	Yes	No
If yes, fill in details:
Name of first aid organisation
Contact phone number
Name of person who treated casualty
Explanation of injury
Details of injuries apparent on examination
Injuries suspected due to symptoms and examination
Deployment of casualty, e.g. sent home or transported to hospital if sent to hospital details of hospital and result of examination
If no, fill in details:
Why did they not seek treatment on site?
When did they seek treatment?
Where did they seek treatment?
Diagnosis after examination
If witnesses available, list details below:
Note status Staff member Volunteer – Contractor Exhibitor Other
If more than four witnesses, continue on plain paper and staple to this form.
Witness 1			Witness 2
Name			Name
Address			Address
Phone number			Phone number
Status			Status
Statement taken?	Yes	No	Statement taken?	Yes	No
Witness 3			Witness 4
Name			Address
Phone number			Phone number
Status			Status
Statement taken?	Yes	No	Statement taken?	Yes	No
Form completed by
Name
Date
Time
Accident/injury reported to insurer
Name of contact taking report
Date
Time
Accident/injury reported to landowner
Name of contact taking report
Date
Time
NOTES – for example cars and other property left on site and arrangements for their removal by relatives or breakdown services etc.

Associated accident/incident risk assessment form
Was incident covered by existing risk assessment?	Yes	No
If yes, which existing risk assessment?	Who performed the incident/accident risk assessment?
	Name
Was accident foreseen in any existing risk assessment?	Results of risk assessment Hazards identified
Were control measures in place?	Have circumstances changed since original risk assessment?
Could accident have been avoided?	What measures were taken to remove the hazard or reduce risk and impact?
How could accident have been avoided?

Your insurers or other authorities may require you to record specific information following an accident or incident. The above outline form supplies all the information I require

• details of the casualty,
• details of the accident or incident,
• details of the location and circumstances,
• details of on-site first aid given,
• details of organisation/person giving that treatment,
• reason why on-site first aid was not requested,
• diagnosis details of injury suspected from examination,
• details of treatment given,
• details of person completing the form,
• details of when landowner and insurer informed,
• details of immediate risk assessment of accident site,
• details of any existing risk assessment,
• details of findings of new risk assessment, and
• details of measures taken to remove hazard risk.

Disclosure

The details you take are for your own records. You should not disclose details to outside parties. For example the local press may ask for the name and home address of a casualty, or you may get a call from somebody claiming to be a close relative of an injured party. Keep all details of the casualty, their accident, their injuries and their treatment confidential. If in doubt – say nothing.