Notifying Parents

Notifying Parents

Notifying parents in the event of an injury has two purposes:

1. It keeps parents informed.

2. It protects the school by allowing the parent to come and see for themselves how the child is, and whether further action is necessary.

The school has family and emergency contact numbers filed in the office and available on the school's computerised student files. Parents must be contacted if their child has received a moderate or serious harm injury, or any head or spinal injury.

When in doubt, contact the parents.

Note: The accident report should state who will contact the parents and should be initialled when they have been contacted.

Reporting and Recording Accidents and Incidents

Each school maintains an accident register which includes reports of all accidents and near misses to students and staff. It is not a separate form, it is the collection of pages of the first aid log, accident investigation forms, and notifications of serious harms. At this school the accident register is maintained by the office manager and the deputy principal and kept in the medical room.

All serious harm incidents, or near misses that could have caused a serious harm, must be reported to the Department of Labour.

The chairperson of the board of trustees must be notified in the event of a death or serious harm injury. Depending on the seriousness of the accident, and its effect on the school community, the school may need to employ the Crisis Management Plan.

Students

Minor (not reported to parents) - record in the first aid log.

Moderate (reported to parents) - record in the first aid log.

Serious harm accidents - (reported to parents)

Record on a Notification of Serious Harm form, and an accident investigation form. A serious harm must be reported to the Department of Labour by phone as soon as possible, and the completed forms sent within seven days of the accident.

Employees

Minor - record in the first aid log.

Moderate - record on the accident investigation form.

Serious harm

Record on a Notification of Serious Harm form, and an accident investigation form. A serious harm must be reported to the Department of Labour by phone as soon as possible, and the completed forms sent within seven days of the accident.

Note: This applies whether the employee is at work, or in another place as part of their work, for example, on a school camp or with a sports team.

Visitors and Contractors

Moderate - record on the accident investigation form.

Serious harm

Record on a Notification of Serious Harm form, and an accident investigation form. A serious harm must be reported to the Department of Labour by phone as soon as possible, and the completed forms sent within seven days of the accident.

Reporting to the Department of Labour is the responsibility of the principal.