Regardless of the nature of your work and the number of people working with you, accidents in the workplace can still occur. While some of these accidents are minor and will still allow you to work afterward, others can become too severe and will require you to pay for expensive medical and hospitalization bills. You can prevent accidents from happening in your workplace by having an accident book.
An accident book is a formal document that is used to record the details of accidents that occur in the workplace. It is a comprehensive document, allowing you to grasp vital information about a specific accident. Here are some reasons why an accident book is needed in any workplace:
1. An Accident Book Allows You To Monitor Accidents Happening In Your Workplace
As mentioned, no single workplace is immune to accidents and injuries. Even if your business is only involved in accomplishing clerical works for other companies, accidents can still happen. Employees might be injured in taking the stairs or even when they are walking on wet floors. With an accident book, you’ll be able to monitor all of the accidents that have happened in your place of work. From who is involved in the accident to the possible factors that have caused the accident, everything can be viewed through the accident book.
Here are some other reasons why monitoring accidents is vital in any workplace:
- When you have a document that details all the accidents that have happened, it’ll be easier for you to spot trends and actually come up with solutions that can minimize or prevent accidents in the future. For example, if the accident book recorded injuries that are caused by the employees’ improper use of a ladder, you can look for workshops or training that will teach them how to better handle the equipment. This information can significantly enhance the health and safety of employees so the business can function better.
- The information stated in an accident book can also go a long way the moment the injured party decides to take matters to court. The accident book can be used as evidence to support any claim made by the injured party.
2. An Accident Book Details The Employee And Employer’s Responsibilities
Whenever an accident happens, no matter how minor or severe it is, it requires the attention of both the employee and employer. The employee involved must report the accident as soon as possible while the employer should provide ways and means to compensate the employee and make sure that the accident will never happen again. All of these are indicated in an accident book. Usually, an accident book will contain the following information:
- For employees or any injured parties, they should be able to report details of the accident as soon as possible. This should include their full name, home address, and nature of work. The employee should also relay the time, date, and location of where the accident took place. All of this information should be certified by the employee or injured person with their signature.
- For employers, they should immediately investigate the cause of the accident after the employee filed a report. Employers should also have a physical and electronic copy of the accident book and make sure it’s accessible for at least the next three years.
3. An Accident Book Allows You To Determine Who Is Responsible For The Accident
Whenever an accident happens in the workplace, someone should always be held responsible. Depending on the gravity of the accident, the responsible party should pay the injured party with compensation to cover for the medical and hospital bills, including the money the injured employee lost from missing days of work. All of this information is also stated in a business’ accident book. Aside from listing down the accidents that have happened, this document also contains the party who is possibly responsible for it.
To paint a clearer picture of how an accident book determines the party at fault, consider the points below:
- If an employee dies or suffers from major injuries that last for more than seven days, the responsible party would be the employer or the person who is in control of the workplace during the time of the accident.
- If the employee is the cause of the accident they experienced themselves, they are the same persons responsible for the accident.
Before a business declares a party at fault, a thorough investigation is conducted first. The investigation period might require days or weeks.
It’s Worth It
Regardless of whether you’re an employee or a business owner, you should exert time and effort in creating an accident book at work. Doing this might be challenging at first, but because of the benefits it can provide, creating an accident book for your workplace will surely be worth it.