Safety Manual:
Incident Management

The purpose of this plan is to minimize the risk to the safety and health of all NKY Health employees and visitors.

This plan applies to all NKY Health staff while performing work duties and to all NKY Health visitors engaged in NKY Health activities.

In order to ensure the safest possible work environment, staff will be trained as follows:

• All staff members will be trained in the procedures and information presented in this plan at the time of employment, annually thereafter, and any time the plan changes.

• Those staff members whose designated responsibilities or actions under the plan change will be trained at the time the responsibilities change.

Initial training is in the form of self-paced modules and training records for NKY Health Employees are maintained in a learning management system and/or personnel files.

• An “incident” is an illness, injury or accident which occurs at any of the NKY Health’s worksites or while conducting NKY Health business.

• An “illness” is an abnormal condition or disorder resulting from an event or exposure. Some Examples are both acute and chronic skin diseases, respiratory disorders, immune disorders, and poisoning.

• An “injury” is any wound or damage to the body resulting from an event. Some Examples are cuts, punctures, abrasions, fractures, insect bites, thermal, chemical or radiation burns, and loss of a tooth. Sprains and strains are classified as injuries if they result from a slip, trip or fall.

• An “accident” is any unintended event resulting in the actual or potential mental or physical harm. This includes motor vehicle crashes.

• An “emergency” is a serious accident, injury, or illness is a work-related incident resulting in injury or illness that requires 911-type emergency care, is life-threatening or involves multiple individuals. (Examples:  fatality, amputation, head, neck, back, spinal cord injury.)

• A “non-emergency” is a non-serious accident, injury, or illness is a work-related incident resulting in injury or illness that does not require 911-type emergency care, is not life threatening, and involves only one individual. (Examples: simple cut, sprain, bruise, or other work-related injuries for which the individual would not be likely to be incapacitated for an entire day.)

• “Recordable” means an injury or illness that requires medical treatment more than simple first aid and must be reported on the appropriate OSHA form.

Before an incident occurs, each employee should note the gatekeeper(s) she or he prefers to use. Many primary care physicians are gatekeepers within the Workers’ Compensation plan. Selecting the gatekeeper of choice in advance eliminates a task that would otherwise need to be completed in the midst of an incident.

Before an incident occurs, the site manager of each worksite should note the emergency provider(s) closest to their facility that are covered under the Workers’ Compensation plan.

See Workers’ Compensation Plan Details for details about the NKY Health’s workers’ compensation plan, including information about how to find the most current list of providers.

The NKY Health and all employees must take reasonable precautions to minimize the occurrence of incidents at work. This includes establishing and following safety precautions. 

One safety precaution the NKY Health observes is to drug screen employees hired into safety sensitive positions, to drug/alcohol screen employees who are involved in an incident involving follow-up medical care or significant property damage immediately following the incident, and to drug/alcohol screen upon reasonable suspicion.

Other safety precautions include bi-annual walkthroughs, training for all-staff requiring the proper use of Personal Protective Equipment, and the provision of Personal Protective Equipment for staff in certain positions.

General Insurance

The NKY Health maintains General Liability and Errors & Omissions insurance policies to cover eligible injuries or accidents that occur to visitors on the NKY Health’s premises or while engaged in the general course of the NKY Health’s business.

Workers Compensation Insurance

For a more effective medical care system, the NKY Health has selected a managed care organization (MCO) for treatment of any employee work-related injury or illness. The purpose of joining the MCO is to better control the medical care employees receive when injured or ill as a result of a work-related incident.

In an MCO, pre-approved doctors, hospitals and clinics are designated to treat injuries received at work. Each injured employee must choose one medical provider at the time of the injury, as a primary care provider, or “gatekeeper.”  The gatekeeper directs the employee’s treatment and refers him/her to a specialist if needed.

Employees must abide by the carrier’s rules in order to be eligible to be covered under Workers’ Compensation Insurance.

All Medical Emergencies

In the event of a medical emergency, staff should follow these steps:

• One staff member should take the lead in coordinating the incident. 

• A second staff member should be assigned to retrieve whatever first aid or medical supplies needed.

• While a third staff member immediately calls 9-1-1 to notify emergency services personnel.

• Whenever non-emergency medical assistance beyond first aid is needed, any staff member may use the "PAGE ALL" feature on the phones. Press "PAGE ALL" and state "I need any available nurse to report to LOCATION (please give the specific location of the co-worker in need of assistance)."  Except in an emergency situation, do not provide medical assistance unless you are licensed to do so. 

Cardiac Emergency

• In the event of a cardiac emergency one staff should stay with the victim while another staff member retrieves the AED unit. 

• Turn the AED unit on and follow the instructions the AED unit screen.

• The 9-1-1 operator as well as first arriving emergency services personnel will ask for as many details as is known regarding the patient, her/his symptoms and the nature of the emergency (Visitor X, male, 30 years old, said he felt dizzy and then fell down and appeared to hit his head).

• Staff not performing immediate first aid care will notify the site coordinator of the incident as soon as practical.

• The site coordinator will make the necessary notifications to the appropriate Director and await further instruction.

• See AED plan

Overdose

• See Naloxone plan

In an emergency situation, employees must first call 9-1-1 to obtain the appropriate help, then immediately report the incident to their supervisor.

When it is a non-emergency situation, or after calling 9-1-1, the employee must immediately report the incident to her/his supervisor or the supervisor’s designee. If neither the supervisor nor the supervisor’s designee is available, then the employee must report the incident up the chain-of-command.

When the incident involves a vehicle accident, employees must contact the police while at the scene and obtain a police report when it is available.

No incident is too minor to report.

An Employee who is involved in incidents at work must adhere to the follow-up treatment regimen and/or testing as prescribed by the nurse case manager assigned by the Workers Compensation carrier or gatekeeper physician selected by the employee and approved by the carrier.

• Procedures for Reporting Employee Incidents

• Procedures for Reporting Visitor Incidents