Let’s consider the second scenario – ‘fall from a height’ – which did not affect patients. But what about the injury to the staff member?

In this scenario, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) definitions of adverse events should be used:

• Accident: an event that results in injury or ill health

Incident defined as either:

• Near miss – an event not causing harm, but has the potential to cause injury or ill health (including dangerous occurrences)
• Undesired circumstance – a set of conditions or circumstances that have the potential to cause injury or ill health, e.g. untrained nurses handling heavy patients
• Dangerous occurrence – one of a number of specific, reportable adverse events, as defined in the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) 2013

Using the HSE definitions, the fall is an adverse event. Because it involved a loss of consciousness caused by a head injury, this is one of the ‘specified injuries’ that must be noted under the RIDDOR regulations and as it resulted in time off work for more than seven days, it must be reported to the HSE.

If a patient had been affected, it would have to be reported to the NRLS.