S-ACCI Accidents in the Workplace (non-vehicular) Part 1

Responsibility and Guidelines

• Supervisors are responsible for the injured person, classifying the incident, and taking applicable actions.
• Critical injuries are defined separately (see OG S-CRIT Critical Injuries to Toronto Fire Services (TFS) Personnel or the Public).

Classification of Incidents

• A workplace accident is an unplanned occurrence that results in property damage, unintended injury, illness, or death in the course of employment.
• An injury is any physical or functional abnormality or loss that results from a workplace event or occupational disease/illness.
• Critically injured means an injury of a serious nature that:
  • Places life in jeopardy
  • Produces unconsciousness
  • Results in substantial loss of blood
  • Involves the fracture of a leg or arm (but not a finger or toe)
  • Involves the amputation of a leg, arm, hand, or foot (but not a finger or toe)
  • Consists of burns to a major portion of the body
  • Causes the loss of sight in an eye
• Critical injury also includes:
  • Employees losing consciousness while at work due to underlying medical conditions or other reasons
  • Fractures to ankle, wrist, kneecap, or more than one finger or toe
  • Amputation of more than one finger or toe
• Significant injury means:
  • Any one of the following injuries (that does not meet the definition of critical injury)
  • Any other amputation (non-critical)
  • Any other fracture (non-critical)
  • Internal organ injury
  • Smoke inhalation
  • Injury/exposure resulting in a hospital visit
• Near miss means:
  • Any situation that did not result in a critical injury or fatality but might have under different circumstances
  • Includes any failure or perceived failure of personal protective equipment

Immediate Actions

• The primary concern when an accident takes place is to:
  • Ensure that the injured person is given prompt medical care
  • Ensure that adequate actions are taken so that no one else will be injured
  • Isolate and preserve the scene to help identify the causes of the accident
  • Notify the Communications Centre as required
  • Identify witnesses and obtain their names and contact phone numbers
  • Ensure required documentation is completed and submitted
• When a TFS member suffers a significant injury or is involved in a near miss incident, the Officer/Supervisor shall:
  • Contact the Communications Centre
  • Provide the following information:
    • Classification of occurrence
    • Name of affected Firefighter (not transmitted by radio for privacy)
    • Apparatus identification
    • Platoon
    • Address where the incident occurred
    • Time of injury
    • Supervising Officers/Supervisors
    • Number of Toronto Paramedic Services unit if applicable
    • Name and badge number of Police Officer if applicable
    • Name of destination hospital if applicable
• The Communications Centre shall immediately notify:
  • On-duty Platoon Chief or Division Chief (Support Divisions)
  • JHSC Labour Co-Chair/member or designate
  • JHSC Management Co-Chair or designate
• The Platoon Chief shall be responsible for ensuring notification of the on-call Division Commander.