B3. Occupational Injury and Illness

Code 8.0

Procedures and systems shall be in place to prevent, manage, track and report occupational injuries and illnesses, including provisions to encourage worker reporting, classify and record injury and illness cases, provide necessary medical treatment, investigate cases and implement corrective actions to eliminate their causes, and facilitate the return of workers to work. Participants shall allow workers to remove themselves from imminent harm, and not return until the situation is mitigated, without fear of retaliation.

Elements to Demonstrate Compliance to RBA Code

1. Policy

Ensure facility's health and safety policy includes occupational injury and illness elements including:

• a. Ensuring there is a staffed and funded program to reduce and respond to occupational injuries and illnesses, including injury reporting, recording and classification, and provision of medical treatment.
• b. Management encourages workers to report all work-related injuries and illnesses to the company and provides them with training on how to report all work-related injuries and illnesses do so to the company.
• c. Workers are not penalized or terminated for reporting work-related injuries or illnesses.
• d. Workers can remove themselves from imminent harm and return once the situation is mitigated without fear of retaliation.

2. Procedures & Practices

Procedures & Practices are in place such that:

• a. Workers are not in situations that can cause imminent harm.
• b. Areas that can cause imminent harm to workers are free of workers and are signed, and access is restricted.
• c. When workers remove themselves from a situation which they perceive to be an imminent harm to them, a corresponding incident report must be generated.
• d. First Aid kits
  • i. Appropriate and completely stocked placed /assigned first aid kits are available in designated locations for staff and workers to access.
  • ii. First aid kits are unlocked, or if locked, the first responder can always access them.
• e. Appropriate and well-maintained first response equipment is available in designated locations.
• f. Onsite emergency occupational medical clinic
  • i. If applicable, an occupational medical clinic is adequately staffed and supplied to respond to injuries.
  • ii. If the medical clinic is not open or operated 24 hours per day, alternative resources such as outside medical services are communicated to employees.
  • iii. Supplies for the onsite occupational medical clinic are available, adequate, and inspected.
• g. Work-related accidents, near-misses, injuries, and illnesses are accurately tracked, reported, investigated, analyzed, and classified to identify trends and areas for improvement.
• h. A documented corrective action system is in place to effectively reduce recurrence of workplace incidents and has been successful in measurably reducing the injury rate.
• i. The company/facility provides workers with medical evaluations and treatment for work related injuries and illnesses.
• j. The facility assigns injured workers to their former (or equivalent) job when they are physically able to resume work.

3. Controls & Monitoring

Controls & Monitoring should include:

• a. Adequate and effective first response process indicating the severity of medical emergency and response (first aid, infirmary, local external hospital).
• b. An adequate and effective maintenance process is in place for the inspection, maintenance, upkeep, and stocking of all first response equipment and first aid kits.
• c. The frequency for all inspections is at least monthly or if there is a Significant Change.

NOTE: If during a regular monitoring cycle, it is determined that there are no changes to the facility or work setup, a re-assessment is not needed. This "no-change" determination should be recorded.

4. Records

Records are maintained including:

• a. Onsite occupational medical clinic inventory list.
• b. First aid kits have an inventory list.
• c. Inspection tracking records are available and up to date.
• d. Licenses and permits for facilities such as clinics and staff, including first responders.
• e. Near misses, first aid events, the number and type of injuries beyond first aid, and any fatalities
• f. Results of investigations, reports to authorities
• g. Corrective action and improvement plans including communication and training.
• h. Trend analysis of the occupational injury and illness data is performed at least annually.
• i. Imminent harm reports which are complete and accurate for all instances where workers removed themselves from imminent harm.
• j. Containment plans for situations where workers removed themselves because of their feeling that they face imminent harm.
• k. Assessment reports of containment of the imminent harm situations providing a "no imminent harm" conclusion before workers return to the area.

5. Leading Practices

• a. Providing general health and well-being communication and support via onsite clinic as all workers may not have access to materials and professionals.

6. Serious conditions that will result in a severe finding

• Not having first response equipment.
• Not having first aid kits available.
• The in-house infirmary or clinic are missing critical elements.

1.0.0 (2024-01-01)

Initial release.