Accidents, notification requirements

Accident notification requirements are specific to a particular country and readers outside the UK should identify the requirements of their local legislation, or requirements imposed through other means. A detailed study of those reporting requirements will be necessary for safety practitioners and those responsible for reporting. The requirements for accident reporting in the UK are summarised in the appendix at the end of this chapter. 

In theory, a thorough investigation will result in the collection of the information required to satisfy all of these purposes but, in practice, this is rarely the case. If, for example, the primary purpose is to collect the information required for accident notification then the investigation is usually stopped when the relevant information has been collected, whether or not this information includes that required for the prevention of a recurrence. When the primary purpose is to establish where the fault lay, there may be an additional problem in that the investigation may become adversarial, that is, the investigators are on one side or the other, for example the employer s side or the injured person s side. This can lead to biases in... 

RDP 12.02 provides instructions about how the notifications are made. If the condition, event, or concern requiring notification is an environmental issue (i.e., a hazardous material accident, spill, release, or noncompliance) the Shift Manager notifies the site spill coordinator and the Operations Manager within 2 hours of the classification of the condition, event, or concern. The Shift Manager then ensures that the requirements for spill reporting and control are satisfied.. The RDP provides the notification requirements if the condition, event or concern is not environmentally related. Notifications are also required to be within 2 hours of the classification. 

Accident/incident notification, investigation, and reporting requirements... 

Requirements on Preparedness and Response for a Nuclear or Radiological Emergency reflect the obligations on States under the Convention on Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident and the Convention on Assistance in the Case of a Nuclear Accident or Radiological Emergency. 

You cannot use a DOT drug or alcohol testing form just in case circumstances change requiring a test (i.e., driver cited within 8 and 32 hours respectively, or a fatality occurs as a result of the accident). This is a misrepresentation of the test to the driver since the criteria for DOT testing was not met at the time of notification. 

The Convention on Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident entered into force in September 1986 (IAEA, 1987) following the Chernobyl nuclear plant accident. This Convention establishes a notification system for nuclear accidents, which have the potential for transboundary release that could be of radiological safety significance for another state. It requires states to report the accident s time, location, radiation releases, and other data essential for assessing the situation. 

The Provisions specified that notification must include "the name(s) and the molecular structure the method(s) applied in measuring the use(s) of the new chemical substance the scheduled aimual amount of manufacture or import the physi-chemical [sic] properties, toxicological and eco-toxicological characteristics the measures for accident prevention and emeigency responses and the measures for pollution prevention and elimination and for waste disposal, etc." The form of notification depended upon the amoimt of the chemical in commerce basic level (<1 ton per annum), level 1 (10 to 1,000 tons per annum), and level 2 (>1,000 tons per annum). In addition, the provisions allowed for certain special cases, for example, simplified notification for a substance already listed in four or more existing inventories aroimd the world. The amoimt of data required increased with the tonnage level [140,141]. 

There are various ways of meeting the requirements listed above but they all depend on well-designed forms and well-thought out systems for reporting and recording. A suitably designed accident report form may also be accepted by insurers as notification of a claim. 

Upon discovery of an accident, you should notify management persormel commensurate with the classification of the accident and notification of regulatory agencies as required by public laws. Institute security and implement investigative procedures using appropriate tools and equipment. 

The NRC now requires dedicated emergency operations facilities (NUREG-0737, Rev. 1) to be constructed, maintained, and tested near each plant.During any future accident, a joint information center would provide a common location for utility, federal, state, and local representatives to communicate with the media. Public notification and information channels have been established. 

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