Policy: Policy 11-1-2: Accident Investigation, Environmental Health and Safety Date Adopted:  
Department: Environmental Health & Safety Contact: Environmental Health and Safety Coordinator
Statement: The first contact for accident reporting should be Public Safety. Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) gets involved in accidents and does reporting as outlined below.

Table of Contents:

  1. Scope
  2. Procedures
  3. Additional Investigation

Section 1: Scope


  1. All accidents that involve personal injury or a possible OSHA, EPA, NRS, or NAC violations must be reported and fully investigated. Near misses should also be reported and investigated.
  2. Fatal accidents or accidents requiring hospitalization of employees may require further reporting requirements to Nevada OSHA and others.
  3. All on the campus accidents involving injuries to employees require not only require investigation but require reporting to Worker Compensation as well.
  4. For the details of reporting requirements an for accident investigation contact your Environmental Health and Safety Officer at 775-445-3327.
  5. All accidents, personal injury, property damage, possible criminal behavior or violation of Nevada Law must be reported.
  6. The following incidents are excluded from EH&S reporting requirements and should be reported to Public Safety (provided that they do not involve OSHA or EPA violations or toxic spills):
    1. Possible criminal activity
    2. Accidents involving property damage
    3. Accidents involving minor injuries to non-employees
    4. Trespassing
    5. Assault
    6. Theft

Section 2: Procedures


  1. All accident investigations shall begin as soon after the incident as possible.
  2. All accident reports shall contain the following data:
    1. Name of the employer(s)
    2. The location of the accident
    3. The names of the employees and non-employees involved
    4. The extent of injuries*
    5. A description and as necessary a diagram of the accident scene
    6. Photographs of the accident*
    7. Signed statements from available witnesses by the witness with witness contact information *
    8. The name of the lead accident investigator. (This will be the primary contact with government agencies).*
    9. The cause of the accident
    10. The action that if take could have prevented the accident or could prevent a similar future accident.
    11. The insurance information of those involved in the accident*
    12. The police report number*
    13. Unsafe conditions at the time of the accident
    14. Weather at the time of the accident
    15. Chemical(s) involved and amounts*

* if applicable

Section 3: Additional Investigation


  1. Additional investigation reporting conditions may apply with fatalities or hospitalization of three or more people. Contact your EH&S officer for details.
  2. The unnecessary removal of equipment or dismantling of equipment at an accident scene that involves a fatality or hospitalization of three or more persons is prohibited until the Nevada Division of Industrial Relations of the Department of Business and Industry has completed their investigation. (This excludes motor vehicle accidents of Public Highways and homicides).
  3. Accident investigation involving personal injury (other than from criminal activity) or possible OSHA violations shall be coordinated by the Environmental Health and Safety Department.
  4. The investigations recommended action to have prevented the injury accident or near miss shall be reported to the Environmental Health and Safety Advisory Committee on a monthly basis.

Date(s) Revised Sep 02, 2008; May 11, 2004; Date(s) Reviewed  

NSHE Code(s)   NRS Code(s) 618.378; 618.379 NAC Code(s)  
Code Statement  
References
*Please note: that not all WNC Policies will be referenced in these documents.
WNC ByLaws
NSHE Board of Regents Handbook
Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS)
Nevada Administrative Code (NAC)