The occupational accident in the company

How do you prepare for accidents at work in your company?

Jenny Miller and her team have been particularly successful this year, and as a reward they received the honour of decorating the five-metre-high Christmas tree in the open entrance hall of their employer. Full of enthusiasm, the team gathered creative ideas, developed a coherent concept and procured all the necessary materials. To do the decorating, Jenny climbed up the tall safety ladder, took the fashionable, earth-coloured glass baubles and decorated the tree with obvious joy and a touch of pride. A souvenir photo was taken right away.

Suddenly, a colleague ran over and frantically called out to Jenny. She turned around reflexively – a fatal mistake. Jenny lost her balance and fell from a great height directly onto the marble floor. First, a bloodcurdling scream rang out that could still be heard throughout the building, followed by absolute, eerie silence. An accident at work that no one had expected. Everyone present was paralysed, unable to react immediately.

Only the colleague at the reception, a few metres from the scene, reacted with presence of mind. She immediately triggered the alarm, informed the first responders and called the emergency services. The first responders arrived shortly afterwards. Soon the howling of sirens, the screeching of ambulance tyres and the voice of the emergency doctor could be heard. Jenny was placed on the scoop stretcher, and it was decided to inform the relatives – a clear sign of how serious the situation was. In the afternoon, the first members of the press contacted the management and asked for an interview.

Regular inspection of work equipment

An occupational accident is defined as ‘an external event during a work shift or a contracted activity that results in damage to health or even death’. [1] It is a great, almost intangible good fortune when a company has not had a serious occupational accident for many years. However, as the situation described shows, this state of affairs can come to an unexpected and abrupt end. For years, ladder accidents like the one described have been among the sad frontrunners in the statistics of the employers’ liability insurance associations – both in terms of frequency and financial benefits. [2]

Let’s use this story to revisit the topic of occupational accidents from the beginning:

In our example, Jenny Miller falls from the ladder due to a moment of inattention, but she could just as easily have fallen from a great height because of a defective rung. In principle, it is obvious to check that work equipment is safe to use and ideally to provide it with an inspection sticker. But what happens if a risk is identified during an inspection? Is the device replaced? Or do the management decide: ‘The ladder is only used once a year, we have to save money and the risk isn’t that great?’ Experience shows that the risk of an occupational accident is often significantly underestimated.

Fortunately, the accident described here happened within sight of the reception. The colleague reacted quickly and immediately alerted the internal first-aiders and called the emergency services. The ambulance crew were quickly on the scene. The injured woman was given immediate medical attention and then taken by ambulance to the nearby sports field, from where she was flown by helicopter to a specialist clinic.

Focusing on the relatives

Let’s take a closer look at the accident at work: an important step in such situations is to communicate with relatives quickly and clearly.

The emergency doctor requested that the family of the injured person be informed quickly, as she was only able to assess the severity of the injuries to a limited extent on the scene. However, this request revealed serious gaps in the company’s organisational processes. It took quite a while before a manager agreed to take responsibility for this sensitive call.

But that’s when the real difficulties began. Who should be contacted in the first place, and how could the current phone number be obtained? A glance at Jenny Müller’s personnel file didn’t really help. It only contained an old landline number that had been registered 15 years ago and had long since ceased to exist. An initial call confirmed that the number had been deleted and reassigned. A current emergency number for a close family member was missing completely. None of Jenny’s colleagues could name an alternative contact person, which further complicated an already tense situation.

Interviewing witnesses and communicating transparently

By this time, the police had also arrived on the scene and had questions for the witnesses. The tall ladder that was in use at the time of the accident had been inspected and deemed safe just two months earlier – it even had a corresponding sticker. It quickly became clear that the incident was a chain of unfortunate circumstances. Two adjoining meeting rooms were opened to provide a protected space for witnesses to give their statements. At the same time, the canteen provided drinks, chocolate and snacks to support the tense attendees. The management was also on site, visibly shocked by what had happened. They spontaneously decided to release the rest of the working day for everyone involved.

By the time the rescue helicopter landed, the accident had spread like wildfire throughout the company. In the afternoon, representatives of the press finally got in touch: a local newspaper and a television station requested an interview. For once, the managing partner personally stepped in front of the microphone and camera. She spoke very calmly at first, expressing her own shock, which was also written all over her face. She then expressed her deepest sympathy to the deceased employee, her colleagues and Jenny’s personal environment. She emphasised that the company was working closely with the investigating authorities and would share new findings with the public in a transparent manner.

How well prepared is your organisation for an accident at work?

Accidents at work can occur unexpectedly and abruptly in any company – as Jenny Müller’s story impressively shows. The key question is: are you and your company prepared to respond quickly and effectively?

• Do you use regular test alarms to practice procedures in an emergency?
• Do you check that work equipment is fit for purpose?
• Are there trained first responders who are known throughout the organisation and always available?
• Are your employees’ emergency contacts documented and updated at least once a year so that no valuable time is lost in critical situations due to outdated data? And just as importantly, is this information easily accessible?

In addition to these organisational aspects, it is equally important that your safety equipment is regularly inspected. Are fire extinguishers in your company ready for use and maintained in accordance with the specifications? Do smoke detectors work reliably and are they routinely tested? And what about first-aid kits – are they fully equipped and up to date?

An accident like Jenny Müller’s also shows how essential it is to define clear responsibilities: Who takes over the communication with the relatives? Who ensures that the names of those present are documented? Who coordinates the cooperation with the police and the press if demand?

You should answer these questions in advance to ensure you are able to act in an emergency. Good preparation can not only save lives, but also ensure that such an incident is handled professionally, respectfully and transparently.

Perhaps this story will encourage you to critically review and improve your security processes and emergency plans?

Notes (mainly in German):

[1] Siebtes Sozialgesetzbuch, Definition Arbeitsunfall
[2] Deutsche Gesetzliche Unfallversicherung, Unfallgeschehen 2023

Stefan Hund is an occupational safety specialist and expert in grief counselling. Together with the team of the Trauermanager, he supports managers in a master class and as last-level support in dealing with stressful grief situations of employees.

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