Accidents and incident reporting

Safety and assistance first

• Assess whether you can approach safely. Do not enter smoke, touch exposed wires or touch a spilled unknown substance.
• Warn others and notify the instructor. If life or health is at risk, call 112.
• Provide help according to your abilities and the dispatcher's instructions. Ask a specific person to help rather than relying on someone to respond on their own.
• If more people are present, assign someone to show emergency responders the entrance and the incident location.

What to say when calling 112

Give the exact location: town or city, university address, building, floor and room. Describe the incident, the number of casualties, their condition and any remaining hazards. Answer questions and follow instructions. Do not hang up until the operator ends the call. Keep your phone available in case they call back.

Reporting to the university

Once urgent assistance has been provided, report the incident to the instructor and the university unit responsible for occupational health and safety. Do not delay reporting because an injury initially seems minor. Ask for the current procedure for submitting documents and the next steps.

Prepare information about the incident

• Record the date, time, place and the activity being performed when the incident occurred.
• Describe what you actually saw. Separate observations from assumptions.
• Keep any medical documentation you receive and submit it to the unit handling the case according to its instructions.
• Identify witnesses. Do not publish photographs of the casualty or their health information in student groups.
• Do not move equipment or remove evidence unless this is necessary to save people or remove an immediate hazard.

Report incidents even when no one is injured

A falling object that misses everyone or a spark from a socket is a warning sign. Tell the instructor about such an incident. Removing its cause may prevent another accident.

Scenario: an injury during an exercise

A fellow student has been cut while working. First help ensure safety and the necessary assistance. Only then collect information for the report. Completing paperwork should never delay calling emergency responders.

What an accident at work means

Under Polish employment regulations, this is a sudden event caused by an external factor, resulting in injury or death and connected with work. All these elements matter. A student's fall during classes must be reported to the university, but it does not automatically qualify as an accident at work. Do not delay help until the event's legal classification has been established.

Serious, fatal and collective accidents

A fatal accident is one resulting in death within six months. A serious accident involves severe consequences specified in the law, such as loss of sight, a life-threatening illness or permanent significant disfigurement. A collective accident means at least two people injured in the same event. Students report the facts and the casualties' condition; they do not determine the formal classification from the appearance of an injury.

Why accidents happen

• Technical causes: a damaged guard, faulty brake, cracked cable or unsafe workstation layout.
• Organisational causes: lack of instruction, unclear allocation of tasks, an obstructed passageway, lack of supervision or an unrealistic time allowed for a task.
• Causes related to human behaviour: bypassing safeguards, rushing, inattention and using equipment for purposes other than its intended use. It is also necessary to establish why this behaviour occurred.
• Example: a student trips over a cable. In addition to identifying inattention, check cable routing, passageway arrangements, lighting and earlier reports. Addressing the cause prevents a recurrence.

From reporting to preventing another incident

After ensuring help is provided, notify the instructor and the occupational health and safety unit. Give a description, witness details and medical documentation to the appropriate recipient; ask for confirmation of the report and further instructions. The responsible persons establish the circumstances, document the incident and identify preventive measures. Under the employee procedure, an accident investigation team operates, and the injured person can review the findings and submit comments. Obtain room numbers and university forms from current UBB information.

Commuting accidents and benefits — supplementary information for employees

An accident on the way to or from work is a separate category; the purpose and course of the journey and any interruptions matter. It is not automatically an accident at work. Report the event to your employer and retain the documentation. In the event of an accident at work or an occupational disease, accident insurance may provide benefits once the conditions are met, including an allowance, rehabilitation benefit, lump-sum compensation or a pension. Commuting accidents are subject to different rules for sickness and pension benefits; on their own, they do not entitle a person to lump-sum compensation from ZUS accident insurance. A separate personal accident insurance policy (NNW) may provide payment under its own terms. Student status or completion of the course does not determine entitlement to benefits.

A mass-casualty incident at the university

When many people are injured, give this information when calling 112, together with the type of hazard and an accessible entrance. Do not enter the danger zone. Follow announcements and the instructions of the person directing the response; do not obstruct access or move through the emergency services' working area on your own initiative. Help as directed by rescuers and within your skills. Do not carry out medical triage independently without training. The building plan and current instructions take precedence over historical descriptions of the building's arrangements.

Student accidents during classes and placements

• An injury during classes, a placement or an activity organised by the university requires action and reporting. Examples include a laboratory cut, a fall during a sports class or an injury on placement. Do not delay help while waiting for a formal classification of the incident.
• First ensure safety and obtain the necessary help. Notify the instructor or placement supervisor promptly, then the university health and safety unit. If you are injured, report the incident as soon as your condition allows. A witness can report it and call for help earlier.
• For placements outside the university, also follow the host institution’s reporting procedure. Agree with your supervisor on further contact with the university. Record the location, time, events and witnesses, and submit documentation to the appropriate recipient.
• The responsible people assess the incident and any benefits under the applicable procedures. Student status does not automatically make an incident an accident at work or confer entitlement to employee benefits. Also report incidents without injury when they reveal a hazard.

Check your knowledge

Work through these short scenarios. Check each answer separately.