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WorkSafeBC coordinates critical incident interventions for work-related traumatic events. If you have any questions or wish to arrange an intervention, please contact the Critical Response Liaison at 604-233-4052 or toll free within B.C. at 1-888-621-7233 local 4052. For urgent or after-hours calls, please phone the emergency pager toll-free at 1-888-922-3700. Your call will be answered immediately between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m., seven days a week.
A workplace critical incident is an event — like an injury, fatality,
or robbery — that causes emotional or psychological trauma in people
exposed to the incident directly, or indirectly. It is a sudden, powerful
event outside the range of normal experience — and outside of the
worker's control.
Reactions to highly stressful events can include:
- Feeling jumpy, anxious, moody, or irritable
- Having difficulty concentrating, making decisions, or thinking clearly
- Having trouble going near the accident scene, or to places that trigger memories of the accident of incident
- Having trouble being around people
- Having difficulty being alone
- Sleep disturbance/nightmares
These reactions are normal responses to stressful or abnormal events. Workers' feelings about their jobs and the workplace can be seriously affected, and the whole workplace may suffer after a critical incident. Effects may include poor morale, decreased productivity, increased accidents and sick time, higher disability claims, and greater staff turnover.
Employer's role in critical incidents
Employers can effectively manage critical incidents with clear policies and procedures that are humane, sensitive, and responsive to workers. Intervention procedures may reduce the intense reactions of workers to an incident and assist them in returning to their duties. Types of interventions that could be held include:Defusing session
Held within 6 to 8 hours of the incident, a defusing session is a brief confidential, non-judgmental group meeting of workers affected by the incident. It is critical to have experienced people specially trained to conduct a defusing session; this can include trained peers. The defuser explains the physical, emotional and mental reactions that workers may be experiencing, and how to take care of their emotional and physical health.
Debriefing session
A debriefing session is ideally held within 24 to 72 hours after an incident. It is a confidential, non-judgmental discussion of the continuing effects of a traumatic incident on workers. The purpose of this session is to alleviate the trauma of affected workers, and to assist in the recovery process. Debriefing focuses on the emotional well being of workers – it does not attempt to find the cause of the accident or assign blame. Sessions should be lead by trained professionals and participation voluntary.Critiquing session
A critiquing session is held a few weeks after the incident. Employers, supervisors, and workers review all aspects of the incident to uncover deficiencies in the handling of the incident, and provide corrective solutions. The session looks at how the incident was handled, how it could have been handled better, how it could have been prevented, and the effectiveness of the intervention. Related company policies, safety regulations, safe work procedures are also reviewed.Corporate review
Within 30 days of an incident, an employer conducts a broad review of all steps taken in response to the incident, including:
- First aid
- Emergency procedures
- Critical incident debriefing
- Accident investigation
- Corrective responses
- Claims management
The purpose of a corporate review is to assess the effectiveness of company's procedures, how the company responded, and suggest other corrective steps that should be put in place. This does not replace an accident investigation.
Resources
Aftermath
- An Initial Response to Critical Incidents – video on critical
incidents
For more information
Contact the Canadian Traumatic Stress Network (CTSN)Phone: 1-866-288-2876
E-mail: President@ctsn-rcst.ca