Day 130 - 26 May 95 - Page 67


     
     1        the 10 to 20 per cent that we are not reporting, we only
     2        find out about them because they are in the accident book.
     3        So they are either in the accident book or in the incident
     4        report form as well which is how we find out about them.
     5        By reporting, we mean reported to the Environmental Health
     6        Officer.  The same does not apply for minor accidents.  We
     7        do not have to report those to the -----
     8
     9   Q.   No.  All Mr. Morris is saying is probably you have less
    10        than four out of five or nine out of 10 of the actual
    11        non-RIDDOR accidents probably turn up in the accident book?
    12        A.  In the accident book, yes, I am sure that is right, in
    13        the Colchester accident book.
    14
    15   Q.   I must say that would make sense to me.  I should have
    16        thought a lot of people just do not bother to put a cut
    17        finger or a burnt hand in the book?
    18        A.  And I think the Colchester accident book was a good
    19        example of that because we could see that, you know, really
    20        there should have been more in there than there was, and
    21        that, yes, it is going to be the really small accidents, if
    22        anything, that do not get written in there or the really
    23        small injuries from accidents.
    24
    25   Q.   There is no way really of judging what the shortfall is, is
    26        there?
    27        A.  No, there is not, no, I am afraid not.
    28
    29   MR. MORRIS:  The accidents that do not result in injuries, by
    30        and large, do not get written in at all?
    31        A.  Well ------
    32
    33   Q.   That is the general -----
    34        A.  It depends what the accident is.  It depends whether
    35        the outcome was nearly a very serious one.  For example,
    36        anything that we would call a near miss -- probably a near
    37        hit is probably a better way of describing it -- we would
    38        investigate them as well.  So, for example, I do not know,
    39        perhaps a tailgate fails in a lorry, the roll cage falls
    40        off, it does not hit anybody but just think of the
    41        consequences if it did.  That sort of thing we would
    42        investigate.  It does not need to go in the accident book
    43        because it does not result in an injury but we would  -----
    44
    45   Q.   Right, that is what I meant.  The accident book, as has
    46        been said, is really an injury book?
    47        A.  Yes, but we would still investigate it.
    48
    49   Q.   Yes, but in terms of ones that do not result in a possible
    50        threat to life or serious injury, a near hit ora near miss, 
    51        in terms of accidents that are happening where no injury 
    52        results, the vast majority of them are not recorded in any 
    53        form?
    54        A.  I am sure you are right there, but again there is no
    55        way of monitoring how many there are.  It is a bit like,
    56        say, you are driving a car, the amount of times you almost
    57        have an accident, you know.
    58
    59   Q.   The point is you can slip over 20 times and only once put
    60        your hand on a hot surface, that is the one that goes into

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