Recording and notification of accidents, notifiable diseases and dangerous occurrences

• Pages: 71-71

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20. Recording and notification of accidents, notifiable diseases and

dangerous occurrences

20.1. All accidents causing loss of life or serious personal injury and such other

accidents as may be specified in national laws or regulations should be notified

forthwith, by the quickest practicable means, to the competent authority and the

workers' representative.

20.2. All other accidents causing incapacity for work, for such periods as may

be determined by the competent authority, should be notified to the competent authority

within such time and in such form as may be specified in national laws or regulations.

20.3. Such dangerous occurrences as may be specified in national laws or

regulations should be notified forthwith to the competent authority and the workers'

representative, whether or not any personal injury has been caused. Such dangerous

occurrences should include amongst others: flooding of any considerable portion of the

workings; inrushes of water; any occurrences which indicate that a tip, dam or lagoon is

liable to become insecure; any accident due to explosives; or any accidental ignition or

detonation of explosives.

20.4.1. Whenever an accident has caused loss of life or serious personal injury,

the site of the accident should be left undisturbed until it has been inspected by the

competent authority. Where compliance with this requirement would impede rescue

operations or tend to increase or continue a danger that would seriously affect the

working of the mine, the site may be disturbed, provided a competent person has visited

it and recorded such measurements, photographs and notes as will enable an accurate

plan of the accident site to be prepared.

20.4.2. Upon completion of the examination of the site of the accident, the

inspector or person acting on behalf of the competent authority shall notify the manager

in writing that work may be resumed at the site of the accident.

20.5. The mine operator should keep records, in the form required by national

laws or regulations, of the accidents and acute exposures to hazardous substances

which occur at the mine, and should make annually, or at other specified intervals, a

full report of accidents to the competent authority.

20.6. National laws or regulations should specify that all occupational diseases

should be notified to the competent authority and that the mine operator should make,

annually or at other specified intervals, a full report of all notifiable diseases which

have occurred at the mine.