HomeMy WebLinkAboutHUR130-004 Critical and Fatal Incident ResponsePICKERING
CITY PROCEDURE
Procedure Title: Critical and Fatal Incident Response
Procedure Number:
HUR 130-004
Reference:
Occupational Health & Safety Act
° Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection
of Privacy Act
Date Originated:
January 30, 2009
Date Revised:
Approval: Chief Ad inistrati • officer
Point of Contact: Coordinator, Health & Safety
I IIIII
Procedure Objectives
The objective of this Procedure is to:
1. ensure that all City employees follow consistent steps when responding to a
critical or fatal workplace incident in accordance with the provisions of the
Occupational Health & Safety Act, Sections 9(31), 51(1) and (2) and Regulation
834;
2. ensure all circumstances, contributing factors, and root causes of workplace
injuries are examined and acted upon; and
3. prevent all incidents of critical or fatal injuries in the workplace.
Index
01 Definitions
02 Procedures
01 Definitions
01.01
Critical Injury - An injury of a serious nature that:
a) places life in jeopardy;
b) produces unconsciousness;
c) results in substantial loss of blood;
d) involves the fracture of a leg or arm but not a finger or toe;
e) involves an amputation of a leg, arm, hand or foot but not a
finger or toe;
f) consists of burns to a major portion of the body; or
g) causes the loss of sight in an eye.
01.02 City Response Team - A designated group of City employees
responsible for attending the scene, preserving all conditions
and evidence until Incident Command is established, recording
information and carrying out the City's investigations.
The City Response Team includes the:
a) Coordinator, Health & Safety (or, if the Coordinator, Health
& Safety is unavailable, then the Division Head, Human
Resources);
b) immediate Supervisor or Manager;
c) Department or Division Head; and
d) a designated Joint Health and Safety Committee (JHSC)
Worker Representative from Pickering Professional
Firefighters Association (PPFA) or the Canadian Union of
Public Employees (CUPE, Local 129).
01.03 Emergency Services (ES) - Emergency Services includes
Police, Fire and Ambulance Services.
01.04 Fatal Injury - Immediate death or death immediately following
an injury.
01.05 Incident Command - The on-site control centre for all
emergency activities and investigations.
Police (1) or Fire Services (2) assume command and control of
the site when they arrive.
01.06 Incident Commander - The senior attending Police Officer or
Fire Services Officer in charge of the scene and the
coordination of responder activities.
Procedure Title: Critical and Fatal Incident Response Page 2 of 8
Procedure Number: HUR 130-004
01.07 Notification — Next of Kin - Police are responsible for the
official notification of next of kin. However, the City will also
want to contact next of kin to offer its fullest support and
assistance. In the case of a fatality, the Chief Administrative
Officer (CAO) will contact next of kin. In all other cases, either
the CAO or a designate of the CAO will contact next of kin.
01.08 Personal Information - The Municipal Freedom of Information
and Protection of Privacy Act governs the collection of
personal information by the City, even during a critical/fatal
accident investigation.
The City Response Team may ask for personal information but
cannot compel this.
All personal information collected by the City Response Team
is confidential and cannot be disclosed to third parties except
as provided for by law.
For the same reasons, Police, Fire and Emergency Medical
responders may not share personal information with the City
Response Team.
01.09 Sudden Death - Immediate death for unknown or unapparent
reasons. Cause of death will need to be determined by a
medical examiner.
01.10 Supervisor - Under the Occupational Health & Safety Act, a
supervisor is a person in charge of a workplace or who has
authority over an employee. This includes unionized
supervisory staff, such as forepersons, captains, and platoon
chiefs.
02 Procedures
02.01 Key Elements of Incident Response
Incidents that result in critical or fatal injuries are investigated
as soon as possible while the site is still preserved and witness
accounts are fresh.
The site is immediately blocked off so that evidence is
undisturbed.
Except for the purposes of rescue, recovery or immediate
Procedure Title: Critical and Fatal Incident Response Page 3 of 8
Procedure Number: HUR 130-004
safety, all vehicles, equipment, machinery, devices, tools and
materials are left as found.
The site remains preserved and secure until released by one of
the following (in sequence of authority):
a) Incident Command/Police
b) Ministry of Labour Investigator
c) Coordinator, Health & Safety (or their alternate)
All work at the site stops until investigations are completed,
hazards are cleared and Incident Command has released the
site.
Police (1) or Fire Services (2) establish an Incident Command
post to coordinate activities, upon arrival at the scene. The
Incident Commander has control of the accident site.
The Critical or Fatal Injury Notification Sequence begins
immediately:
a) 911 — Emergency Services (Police, Fire and Medical)
b) Coordinator, Health & Safety
c) Director/Division Head
d) CAO
e) Ministry of Labour
f) JHSC Worker Co -Chair
02.02 In all Cases of Critical or Fatal Accidents, the following
information should be collected as soon as available:
a) incident time, date, place and circumstances;
b) name of victim and any other involved persons;
c) description of conditions (daylight, weather);
d) description of site as found (ground surface, structures,
power sources, etc.);
Procedure Title: Critical and Fatal Incident Response Page 4 of 8
Procedure Number: HUR 130-004
e) sequence of events;
f) contact information including addresses and telephone
numbers;
g) witness names and contact information;
h) witness statements (verbal and written);
i) emergency responder information (EMS, Police, Fire);
j) site drawings or photographs;
k) manufacturer's specifications or descriptions of equipment,
machinery or devices;
I) maintenance records of equipment, machinery or devices;
m) hazardous materials and Material Safety Data Sheets
(MSDSs);
n) training records;
o) WSIB Claim information; and
p) Ministry of Labour Investigator's Report.
All accident and investigation documents shall be forwarded to
and retained by the Coordinator,. Health & Safety.
Every employee who is involved with or has personal
awareness of a critical or fatal incident shall maintain strict
confidentiality of all details of the incident and victim, except as
required by law.
Media or other third party requests for information are directed
to the office of the Chief Administrative Officer.
02.03 Incident Response and Investigation Procedures
The first City employee to identify a critical or fatal accident or
sudden death involving another City employee shall initiate the
City's Emergency Medical Response by calling the City
Operator at '0' or by calling '911' immediately, and then calling
his/her supervisor.
Procedure Title: Critical and Fatal Incident Response Page 5 of 8
Procedure Number: HUR 130-004
02.04 Duties of Supervisor
The Supervisor shall attend the scene of a critical or fatal injury
or sudden death immediately upon notification.
02.05 If Emergency Services are already on site, the Supervisor
shall report to Incident Command, and then:
a) call the Coordinator, Health & Safety;
b) follow directions of the Incident Commander;
c) provide assistance to Incident Command, as requested;
and
d) stand by until the remaining members of the City Response
Team arrive on site.
02.06 If Emergency Services are not yet on site, the Supervisor
shall take charge of the scene until an Incident Command is
set up, and:
a) ensure '911' Emergency Services are called;
b) call the Coordinator, Health & Safety;
c) secure the site and isolate presenting hazards if safe to do
so;
d) direct witnesses to stand by in a safe place;
e) provide screening or barriers to ensure the dignity of the
victim;
f) appoint a person to direct and control by-standers, as
required; and
g) appoint a person to warn traffic, as required; and
h) stand by until the City Response Team has arrived on site.
Procedure Title: Critical and Fatal Incident Response Page 6 of 8
Procedure Number: HUR 130-004
02.07 Duties of Coordinator, Health & Safety
The Coordinator, Health & Safety - upon notification of a critical
or fatal incident, shall immediately contact the:
a) appropriate Director or Division Head;
b) CAO;
c) Ministry of Labour at 416.235.5330 (days) or 416.325.3000
(nights/weekends); and
d) the Worker Co -Chair of the appropriate JHSC.
The Coordinator, Health & Safety shall attend the scene as
quickly as possible.
The Coordinator, Health & Safety shall provide a verbal report
of accident/injury to the Chief Administrative Officer and the
Workplace Safety & Insurance Board as soon as basic
information about the incident is known.
The Coordinator, Health & Safety shall provide a written Report
of Accident/Injury within 48 hours to the Chief Administrative
Officer, the Director of the Ministry of Labour and the
Workplace Safety & Insurance Board (WSIB), whether or not
the investigation is complete.
The Coordinator, Health & Safety shall, in consultation with the
Chief Administrative Officer and the Division Head, Human
Resources, arrange for timely support and counseling for City
employees and/or the victim's family following a critical or fatal
incident, as may be required.
The Coordinator, Health & Safety shall receive and collect
copies of all documentation including (but not limited to) City
Response Team notes, witness statements, police reports,
medical examiner's reports and the Ministry of 'Labour
Investigation Report.
The Coordinator, Health & Safety shall provide an executive
summary report and copies of the investigation documents to
the Chief Administrative Officer, the appropriate
Director/Division Head and others as may be required, once
the Ministry of Labour Investigator's Report is received.
Procedure Title: Critical and Fatal Incident Response Page 7 of 8
Procedure Number: HUR 130-004
02.08 Duties of City Response Team
The Director or Division Head shall attend the scene as quickly
as possible.
The designated JHSC Worker Representative shall attend the
scene as quickly as possible.
The City Response Team shall assemble at the accident site
and await the arrival of the Ministry of Labour Investigator.
While awaiting the Inspector's arrival, the City Response
Team:
a) provides assistance to the Incident Commander, as
requested;
b) collects witnesses' identification and contact information;
c) can take witness statements; and
d). makes sketches or takes photographs of the general site
including:
1. existing conditions;
2. unusual conditions;
3. collapsed structures;
4. machinery, devices or equipment;
5. hazardous materials;
6. personal protective equipment;
7. power sources; and
8. anything else that could provide evidence of what
happened.
Procedure Title: Critical and Fatal Incident Response Page 8 of 8
Procedure Number: HUR 130-004