G.3.10 Hazardous Incident Identification

PURPOSE

To assist in providing personnel and Paramedic Services a process for the identification and mitigation of hazardous scene impact, and to ensure that Paramedic services personnel are aware of the process for reporting concerns as part of the Hazards Management Program.

APPLICATION

Paramedics, Paramedic Superintendents, Senior Managers, JHSC
 

PROCEDURE

Scene Hazards

Paramedics are required to respond to calls for service and may encounter events which may be hazardous. Hazards include, but are not limited to, violence, animals, communicable disease, CBRNE, remote response. 

Mitigation of hazardous exposure shall be mitigated by several methods. Firstly, identification reporting will be implemented. Where any personnel identify a scene hazard, Incident Reports, and a Health and Safety Reporting Form shall be completed, and both the CACC ACO and Paramedic Superintendent notified. The report is to be as detailed as possible explaining: the hazard, reasons for deeming the scene a hazard, any past calls encountered to this scene where there where similar circumstances.

The Incident Reports and Health and Safety Reporting Forms will be reviewed by the Deputy Chief responsible for Operations. Should any address/scene be deemed a hazard to responding crews the Deputy Chief will complete a “Hazards Identification Flagging Request Form” and will forward to the local CACC to be entered into their system for flagging. The Hazard Identification Flag will be reviewed in accordance with set processes.  

General Workplace Hazards

Should any personnel discover an issue that causes concern over the health and safety of any employee, a Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB Employee Health and safety Form shall be completed and submitted as follows:

1. The employee shall complete Part 1, detailing the concern. A recommended solution should also be included.  
2. The completed form should be submitted via email to superintendent@msdsb.net , and the JHSC, while a copy of the concern should be posted on the Station H&S Bulletin Board.
3. The concern will be evaluated by the Paramedic Superintendent, who may request additional details.   
4. The Paramedic Superintendent will complete their section of the Form concurring with the concern, disagreeing with the concern, or referring the issue to the JHSC to review.  
5. The Paramedic Superintendent shall also categorize the concern as Minor, Moderate or Severe. 
6. The JHSC members will assess the information, investigate further and complete the Form with a decision regarding their findings and suggested solutions.   ​

Hazards Definitions

The following definitions pertain to the Paramedic Services Hazard Management Program:

First Aid: Includes but is not limited to the treatment of minor injuries, up to, but not including medical aid.

Health Care: Includes services requiring the professional skills of a practitioner’s service provided at health care facilities.

Hazard: Any items, including physical, chemical, biological, or ergonomic, that has the potential to cause harm, injury, disease, death, environmental, property, or equipment damage.

Risk: The likelihood or probability that a hazardous event will occur.

Hazard Identification: The process of examining for and identifying hazards specifically inherent to the work. For Paramedic Services, work areas include but are not limited to stations, vehicles, health care facilities, external workplaces, external residences, and public spaces.   

Risk Classifications: The process by which the probability of an occurrence and the severity of that occurrence exist within the environment. Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB Paramedic Services classifies Risk as follows:

Fatality or Permanent Disability

Imminent danger that has the potential to cause fatalities, permanent disability, or property, or environmental damage over $50,000.

Long Term Illness or Serious Injury

Serious danger that has the potential to cause long term illness, serious injury, or property, or environmental damage between $5,000 and $50,000. 

Medical Attention and Several Days Off Work

Serious danger that has the potential to cause medical attention and several days off work, or property, or environmental damage between $1,000 and $5,000.

First Aid Needed

Minor danger that has the potential to cause the need for first aid, or property, or environmental damage of less than $1,000.

Hazard Controls

It is generally accepted that certain hazards will never be eliminate from the jobs that are performed by emergency workers, however where hazards can not be eliminated, control methods must be developed and put in place to minimize the risk to the workers and public safety.  In order to minimize the hazards where it can not be eliminated the hazard controls are put in place using the following three possible courses of action.

Engineering Controls

This is done by modifying existing equipment to ensure better safeguards (such as equipment guards) or by substituting a different piece of equipment which may have better safety components. 

Administrative Controls

Such controls are achieved by ensuring that work processes such as written operating procedures, restrictive hours of work and staff education are employed and followed.

Personal Protective Equipment

PPE is employed where hazards cannot be mitigated through all other methods PPE includes:

• N95 respirators, protective gloves, protective eyewear – for use when managing potential communicable diseases.
• Highly conspicuous outerwear, and protective headwear for use in specific environments such as roadways and industrial sites.