TFD Serious Injury/Fatality Reporting Policy

• The document outlines TFD's policy for reporting and investigating serious injuries or fatalities involving TFD personnel.
• It includes procedures for reporting fatalities, probable fatalities, inpatient hospitalizations, amputations, or loss of an eye that does not require hospitalization due to work-related accidents, and for investigating serious On-the-Job Injuries (OJIs).
• The policy applies to Deputy Chiefs, the Battalion Chief of Safety, Officers, Acting Officers, Fire Communications Center (FCC) personnel, and the Financial Assistant for Payroll.
• This document supersedes all previous versions of the policy.
• Associated forms include HRE 002 (Supervisor's Report of Incident or Injury) and the Emergency Medical Incident Report (EMIR).
• TFD Policy 3505 (Exposure Control Plan for Bloodborne Pathogens), Policy 3512 (Stress Management Awareness Response Team), Policy 5005 (Safety Committee), Policy 5007 (Vehicle, Apparatus or Specialty Trailer Accidents), and Policy 5013 (Reporting On-the-Job Injury or Illness) are resources for TFD-related matters.

Responsibilities

• TFD Deputy Chiefs are responsible for making required L&I notifications for injuries per the document's guidelines.
• The Battalion Chief of Safety (or designee) is responsible for making required L&I notifications, investigating serious injuries/fatalities, reviewing incidents with the TFD Safety Committee, assisting L&I investigators, maintaining records, and maintaining the document.
• TFD Battalion Chiefs, Officers, and Acting Officers must notify FCC of fatalities/injuries to TFD personnel under their command that meet reporting requirements.
• FCC personnel are responsible for making notifications when a TFD employee is injured, in accordance with the guidelines.
• The Financial Assistant for Payroll at TFD Headquarters is responsible for processing paperwork related to on-the-job injuries/illnesses.

Definitions

• L&I refers to the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries.
• OJI refers to On-the-job injury, illness, or disability.
• OSHA is the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
• PPE means Personal Protective Equipment.
• Probable Fatality: An occupational injury or illness that, by a doctor's prognosis, could lead to death or is life-threatening.
• Serious OJI: Actual or probable fatality or inpatient hospitalization of a TFD employee as a result of a work-related accident.

Rules and Guidelines

• WAC 296-305 and WAC 296-800 are listed as references.
• All On-the-Job Injuries and Illnesses (OJI) to TFD employees must be reported and documented.
• TFD personnel use the EMIR form to document OJI treatment.
• Work-related accidents resulting in a serious OJI to a TFD employee should be investigated by the Battalion Chief of Safety (or designee) to establish the preliminary cause.
• The investigator must document findings for future formal investigations.
• TFD must preserve all records, photos, audio, video, and documentation concerning the accident.
• Accident investigation findings should be used to train TFD personnel to prevent future accidents.

L&I Notification and Investigation

• The Battalion Chief of Safety and/or Deputy Chiefs must immediately report fatalities, probable fatalities, or inpatient hospitalizations of TFD employees from work-related accidents to the City Safety Officer, including those admitted to the hospital.
• If the City Safety Officer cannot make the L&I notification, the Battalion Chief of Safety and/or Deputy Chiefs must report it to the nearest L&I office within eight hours.
• Work-related amputations/loss of an eye where the person isn't hospitalized must be reported to the nearest L&I office within 24 hours.
• These notification requirements apply to subsequent fatalities or hospitalizations within 30 days of the accident.
• If TFD learns of a reportable accident later, the Battalion Chief of Safety or Deputy Chief must verbally notify L&I within eight hours of it being reported to any City agent or TFD employee.
• The Battalion Chief of Safety or Deputy Chief should contact the TFD Prevention Division, City of Tacoma Safety Officer, and Tacoma Police Department for investigation assistance.
• Equipment involved in the accident should not be moved until the incident is investigated and released by L&I, unless moving it is essential to prevent another accident or to remove a victim, in which case the movement should be minimized.

Reporting a Serious Work-Related OJI

• The Immediate Supervisor must contact Fire Communications for a serious injury/fatality notification, complete HRE 002, forward it to the Financial Assistant for Payroll, and refer to other relevant TFD policies.
• Fire Communications Personnel must contact the Deputy Chiefs, Battalion Chief of Safety, City Safety Officer, and on-duty Battalion Chiefs, and perform an administrative page.
• The Battalion Chief of Safety and Deputy Chiefs must contact additional agencies as needed, request the City Safety Officer to make the L&I or OSHA notification (or do so themselves if the City Safety Officer can't within the timeframe - L&I: 253-596-3800, OSHA: 1-800-423-7233), and provide specific information like names, location, time, number of affected employees, contact info, and a brief description.

Investigating a Serious OJI

• The Battalion Chief of Safety should interview the injured individuals and/or any available witnesses as soon as possible, conduct interviews privately (one at a time), obtain names, addresses, and statements, walk the person through a re-enactment, and interview injured individuals at the accident scene when possible.
• Signed/dated statements should be considered if facts are unclear.
• Talk to anyone with knowledge of the accident, even if they weren't a direct witness, and express appreciation to those interviewed.

Scene Documentation and Evidence Preservation

• In major accidents, use sketches, diagrams, and photos to document details, and take measurements as needed.
• Take steps to protect any evidence if a third party or defective product/equipment contributed to the accident.
• Ensure involved equipment/tools are not moved or altered, and limit scene access to essential personnel only.

Report Content

• Determine and include the answers to questions based on observations and interviews in the report. These questions include:
  • What circumstances preceded and surrounded the accident
  • What was the immediate cause
  • What were the underlying and contributing causes
  • What physical hazards existed at the time of the accident
  • Were defective tools, equipment or materials provided to employees
  • Were the tools and equipment improperly used
  • Was PPE being used and worn properly
  • Did the PPE fail
  • Did unsafe practices contribute to the accident
  • What safety rules or safety training might have prevented the accident
  • Did a third party cause unsafe conditions or unsafe actions that contributed to the accident

Follow-Up

• Define corrective actions and timetables to prevent recurrence, and maintain documentation copies in the TFD Safety Office files.