Accident Book

[mattylad]

AFAIK.

Accident records can NO LONGER be kept in a "BOOK" per se.

The accident record MUST be kept private once it has been filled in, the DPA has changed things so we no longer have accident books kept as they used to be.

The current book, BI510 has detachable pages which once filled in with an accident victims name and address details must be then stored in a safe place by a nominated person & not left for all & sundry to see.

The days of having any old book kept with a first aid box that people can then find out other employees names/addresses etc are long gone & any employer still using the older style books with all info in is committing an offence (AFAIK).

The governing legislation on major accident recording is R.I.D.D.O.R

 

[chirpychippy]

I find this health and safety law for reporting accidents in relation to the size of the company, disgusting. Whilst I appreciate now that all major accidents/incidents should be reported to RIDDOR, I don't understand why a small company, say under 10 person's doesn't have to have a means for recording minor accidents, surely an accident is an accident regardless of the number of employees. Bl**dy stupid.

 

[Zampa]

All accidents have to be recorded regardless of the size of the firm.

 

[chirpychippy]

Zampa, please look at this website and tell me I am wrong:

www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employees/HealthAndSafetyAtWork/

Under accidents at work, it clearly states that small businesses do not have to have accident books!

 

[Zampa]

Any injury at work - including minor injuries - should be recorded in your employer's 'accident book'. All employers (except for very small companies) must keep an accident book.

I found that..but no mention about 1-5 employees..there is a bit about the RIDDOR aspect of reporting but it also states that all accidnets must be recorded by you emploer and kept for three years (the legal period in which you can make a claim in these instances)

If they are implying 'very small companies' are companies that have more than one but less than 10 staff then they are wrong.

The only ruling I know of like that is companies who have less than ten staff had to comply with the new style book in 2003..

All employers have a legal duty to record all accidents

Imagine the situation..you have two people working for you,..one foreman and another..the other cuts himself, the foreman logs it..the cut turns septic, he loses a finger you dont provide gloves because you think PPE is down the the employee to provide.....he successfully sues you...your insurers pay out.

His advantage your loss

Or...he turns up on a Monday with a cut and says he did it on friday, no one saw it happen..nothing gets logged, it turns spetic, he loses it and decides to sue...but will find it almost impossible to claim because there is no record and no witnesses...did it happen in work?.... nah he fell over with a pint glass in his hand on a saturday night and then saw one of those rent a writ solicitors and thought 'ill have some of that'

Your advantage his loss.

Its there to protect both the employer and the employee..no matter what size firm, in fact smaller firms probably need accident books more than big firms.[/i][/b]

 

[chirpychippy]

Yeh well it looks like I am up against it with this one, I again tried to ask my employer where his accident book was the other day, after initially stating he had one he later admitted he didn't have one. I then asked him how he would record accidents and he suggested a pen and a bit of paper and added sarcastically that we had better not have any accidents. The problem is I cannot see what he has to lose by abiding by the law.

 

[JohnD]

Surely you could notify him in writing and keep a copy?

Copy the columns in an accident book and write him a letter something like:

I am writing to notify you of the following accident at work since you tell me you do not have an Accident Book. Please keep this notification on file.

Date:
Time:
Person Injured:
Place:
Injury:
Action: /First Aid (by)/Sent home/To hospital/Returned to work

(whatever)

sign and date it.

then not your problem any more.

 

[Zampa]

Yeh well it looks like I am up against it with this one, I again tried to ask my employer where his accident book was the other day, after initially stating he had one he later admitted he didn't have one. I then asked him how he would record accidents and he suggested a pen and a bit of paper and added sarcastically that we had better not have any accidents. The problem is I cannot see what he has to lose by abiding by the law.

After I sent that I did a bit of homewrok..and stand 'slightly' corrected Chippy..its another one of those very grey areas of the HSE...apparently your not required to keep an accident book if your firm is under ten men...but, it doesnt make for a very good H/S ethos in a company if they dont have one..

I have read that ALL accidents need to be recorded..AND you dont need to keep an accident book if the company s under ten men..who work under the same roof.

I odnt think your employer is a wise man personally..he sounds like one of these..'all that health and safety is over the top' types...

He might change his attitude if someone goes to a 'rentawrit' and takes him on..

One thing I am sure about though...if someone makes a claim against a company it is automatically recorded with his insurerers..and on a data base..One firm I used to deal with had a claim from a trainee..(who made up half of a very poor story anyway) ..the companies insurance wet through the roof until the claim was evetually dropped..(after their solictors read the orignal accident report I did at the time) ..and it cost them a lot of money even tohugh they were innocent.

 

[Sylvan Tieger]

My Governer doesn't have an Accident book, and whenever an accident does occur on site, very seldomly may I add and I have approached him to fill out a form he just laughs. Now I appreciate he only employes two people but surely by law he should have one. As he hasn't I am sure he trying to avoid any repurcusions should an accident occur. What do you reckon?

One of the contractors I knew only hired illegal's to work for him

One day on a job site one illegal fell off a 12 ft ladder and broke his arm and sprained his ankle. The contractor said no problem get in the truck dropped the day worker off by a near by hospital ( by law in America they have to treat everyone even if they have no health insurance or are not even citizens) so he drops off the hurt worker and takes off.

SURE saves money on compensation claims