SALTA

Recommended Standards – Collision and Injury Reporting and Investigation

The purpose of the reporting and investigation policy is to set minimum standards for reporting collisions and injuries and responding to their occurrence. The goal is to determine the cause(s) of collisions and injuries and prevent re-occurrence through various remedies.

Definitions

Collision–Any vehicle collision which results in any of the following:

  1. any injury to an employee;
  1. any injury to another party;
  1. impact with a third-party vehicle containing occupants;
  1. property damage to Company vehicles or third-party property in excess of $1,000.00

Workplace Injury – injury to an employee or guest which is treated by medical professionals

Workplace Incident– A minor injury to an employee or guest where medical treatment was limited to on-site first aid or where medical treatment was refused by the affected person(s).

Vehicle Collision & Workplace Injury Reporting

All vehicle collisions must be reported by drivers immediately and no later than the end of their shift or workday of the occurrence. This is required even if the driver is not returning to the facility within the 24-hour period.

  • Direct notification to the insurance company will be made immediately upon the report of a collision. In all instances, Management will file initial claim report within 72 hours.

All workplace injuries and incidents must be reported by employees as quickly as possible, and always by the end of the shift.

  • Direct notification to the insurance company will be made immediately upon the report of a workplace injury. In all instances, Management will file the initial claim report within 72 hours.
Vehicle Collision Investigation & Response
  • The investigation of each vehicle collision will commence immediately upon reporting of the event. Investigative materials to be gathered include:

–Photographs

–Names of parties involved & investigating officers

–Written (driver) accident report

–Witness statements

–Police report where available (mandatory for any DOT-recordable collision)

Accident Procedures detailing what information to collect should be maintained on each vehicle, at each dispatch desk, and reviewed periodically with drivers.

  • Preventability will be determined as soon as practical and, at a minimum, within 7 days of the collision. Photographs, witness statements, police reports, and other relevant information should be used in evaluating the driver’s report of collision and determining preventability.

If only the driver’s statement is available for determination of preventability, then a personal inspection of the damage to the vehicle as well as an attempt to call the other party involved in the accident to gain their account of the accident/incident is required.

If you have not been able to contact the other party within the first 7 days and have not received any other information from witnesses, passengers, etc., then the driver statement will be the basis for determination of preventability.

  • In the event of alleged vehicle mechanical failure as a contributing factor, the involved vehicle must be examined to determine the legitimacy of any such claim. This inspection must be done by appropriate service personnel and must be completed prior to continued dispatch of the vehicle.
  • If an accident/incident is deemed to be non-preventable, supporting documentation is required. Photos of damage to the vehicle; written notes of interview with the other party involved; witness statements; or descriptive police reports will be necessary to confirm that an accident/incident was non-preventable.
  • If a collision is determined to be preventable, all appropriate actions dictated by the driver management policy in effect will be taken immediately. The only exception to this will be if an appeal has been requested or if a driver is on a multiple day trip before returning to the facility. Counseling, re-training or discipline should occur within two weeks of the accident being determined preventable.
  • All documentation used in determining preventability or non-preventability will be filed and maintained for at least 3 years. Corrective actions will also be documented and maintained for the same period.

Workplace Injury & Incident Reporting & Response

  • The investigation of each injury and incident will begin immediately upon reporting of the event. Investigative materials should include:

–A statement from the injured employee/guest

–Witness statements

–An inspection of the accident scene with photos (if occurred on Company facilities)

  • Causal factors will be determined as soon as practical and, at a minimum, within 7 days of the injury. The affected person’s statement, photographs, witness statements and other relevant information should be used in evaluating the factors and determining to what degree the employee or guest’s actions contributed to the injury occurrence.
  • If an injury is determined to be caused by unacceptable employee behavior, all appropriate actions dictated by any applicable Company policy in effect will be taken immediately. Counseling, re-training or discipline should occur within 3 days of an employee’s return to work and preferably prior to the employee’s next work shift once the injury has been determined preventable. All counseling, training and discipline shall be properly documented.
  • All documentation used in conducting the investigation and determining causation and correction will be filed and maintained for at least 3 years.
Compliance with Regulatory Requirements

Employee Injuries

The OSHA Log 300 must be maintained for all "recordable" injuries/illnesses. Entries are to be made within 6 days of knowledge of their occurrence. First-aid type injuries should not be entered on the OSHA Log. First-aid injuries are described as a one-time treatment and subsequent observation for minor cuts, scratches, bruises, burns, splinters, etc. The OSHA Log must remain current with regard to updating for days lost and days of restricted activity. A Report of Injury Form must be available for each entry on the OSHA LOG.

The OSHA Log 300 must be maintained on a calendar year basis. It should be placed in a separate file designated solely for each year's OSHA Log. THESE LOGS MUST BE RETAINED FOR FIVE (5) YEARS.

  • Beginning February 1 through April 30, the OSHA 300A summary form must be posted in an area accessible to all employees. The summary must list the total numbers of job-related injuries and illnesses that occurred in the previous year and were logged on to the OSHA 300 form. Employment information about the annual average number of employees and total hours worked during the calendar year are also required to assist in calculating incidence rates. If there were no recordable injuries or illnesses in the previous year must post the form with zeros on the total line.

Within eight (8) hours following the death of any employee from a work-related incident or the in-patient hospitalization of three or more employees as the result of a work-related incident, the Corporate Safety must orally report the fatality/hospitalization by telephone to the nearest Federal or State OSHA office.

Vehicle Accidents/Incidents

When an accident run under your authority involves any fatality, injuries treated away from the scene, or disabling damage to any vehicle involved (see Accident definition, FMCSR, Part 390) the accident must be recorded on an Accident Register in compliance with DOT Regulations. The following items must be included on the register:

•Date

•City/Town of occurrence

•Driver’s name

•Number of injuries

•Number of fatalities

•Any hazardous materials spilled (excluding fuel from vehicle fuel tank)