Introduction

During outdoor fitness sessions, it is recognised that in spite of all reasonable precautions accidents can still occur during activities. As such, the following policy and procedures are designed to:

Provide fast, safe and effective help to all concerned;
To supply The Company with the specific information it needs; and
To protect:
- The individual(s) concerned;
- The fitness instructor; and
- The Company.

Instructors must recognise that the reporting of all Near Miss occurrences is also vital for the future safety of all individuals; as such information helps others to plan and prepare in order to avoid possible dangers.

Instructors must also be aware of the legal obligation to record all injuries or accidents.

Finally, instructors must recognise that in serious circumstances unofficial statements and apparently innocent comments may affect any subsequent legal proceedings, and may lead to relatives being contacted by the media rather than the police.

Policy

Every reasonable action must be taken to ensure the safety of clients, members of the public and instructors whilst carrying out classes or any other activity for The Company.

Whilst attending one of our classes/events clients are our responsibility. Accidents and injuries should be minimised by carrying out standard company procedures by ensuring that you:

Have a lesson plan: enjoyable and flexible, but most importantly safe;
Teach and ensure correct exercise techniques;
Carry out regular risk assessments and act on those assessments by informing the clients or moving away from the risk;
Ensure your own first aid training is ‘in-date’; and
Always carry a first aid kit, water and a mobile phone.

Procedures

In the event of any accident or injury the following procedures should be carried out and the Accident & Emergency Reporting Form (Appendix A) completed, signed, witnessed and returned to The Company as soon as reasonably practicable.

Procedure	Description
1	If any person is injured during training the instructor, as a qualified first aider, will be the first to assess the injury/incident and warn others of continuing dangers, if these exist. Attend to the injured person immediately, keeping only the minimum number of persons to assist as necessary. Ensure that one accident does not produce more; withdraw the remainder of the group to a safe place as conditions may be dangerous or may deteriorate. The instructor will normally handle such an incident after assessing the casualty and taking the necessary action that befits the situation; Minor injury will be dealt with and the casualty will probably be able to return to training. Injuries that prevent the casualty from continuing training will be re-assessed and treated within the clinical ability of the instructor (as first aider). If the injury is beyond the capability of the instructor or it is deemed the casualty requires hospitalisation then 999 will be called for the Emergency Services to attend and transport the casualty to hospital. Discontinuing the session will be a judgement call after an assessment of the incident and action required. If in any doubt call the Emergency Services to deal with the situation and make the casualty as comfortable as possible. The instructor will ensure that they do not discuss the situation with anyone other than the emergency services and The Company. Fill in the Accident & Emergency Report Form (Appendix A).
2	In the event of an incident at another organisation/establishment, the instructor will follow instructions from an official representative of that organisation/establishment.
3	In the event of an incident that may warrant the use of any of the emergency services the instructor will ensure the following: That any intervention/assistance does not jeopardise the safety of other members of the group, instructors or members of the public; That the treatment of casualties is only administered by those who are qualified to do so, except in cases where the casualty has already stopped breathing. The instructor will also specifically designate another individual to call 911 via mobile phone or landline and include the following information: Tell the Emergency Service the location of the accident: venue name and location within venue (e.g. North side rather than South side); Communicate what happened, the condition of the casualty and what care is being given; Let the Emergency Service know that staff trained in first aid are on the scene; Listen and let the Emergency Service ask questions for the remaining information; Wait for the Emergency Service to hang up before you hang up; and Ensure an individual goes to meet the Emergency Services and lead them to the casualty.
4	In the event of a death or serious/life threatening injury the following procedure will be adopted: The instructor will contact the appropriate emergency service, and provide them with any personal details, including next of kin. In the event of a death, the instructor will contact the police, who will advise the next of kin of the fatality. The instructor will ensure that no member of the group advises the next of kin of the fatality. The instructor will contact The Company: 000-0000-0000 (24 hours) and provide the casualty’s name, details of the incident and details of the hospital to which the casualty has been taken. The instructor will also provide a telephone number where s/he can be contacted. The instructor will ensure that they do not discuss the situation with anyone other than the emergency services and The Company. Any media enquiries are referred to The Company, and that no statements are made to the media.

Incident Reporting

It is important that all accidents, injuries or dangerous occurrences are reported, by the quickest practicable means (this usually means by telephone, alternatively email).

A factual report, including any statements taken, should be forwarded to The Company using the Accident & Emergency Report Form (Appendix A) no later than 24 hours after the incident (or when you return from an event).

A supply of Accident & Emergency Report Forms should be held by instructors in the event of an accident.

An example of an Accident & Emergency Report Form is given below.