Ref: 2/2023

REPORT

To: Director: Corporate Services

Division: Technical (Road Maintenance)
Division: Human Resources Administration
Division: Labour Relations

WORKPLACE INCIDENT REPORT; INJURY ON DUTY

1. Introduction
Accidental events and close calls in the workplace can be avoided, but even with
health and safety precautionary measures in place, they may still occur. If or when
they do, it might have an effect not only on the implicated employee but also on the
company.

Any event that jeopardizes a worker's or person's health and safety is referred to as
an incident at work. This could include an accident that happens at work, one that is
connected to work-related activities, one that involves the use of equipment while
carrying out assigned tasks, a close-call accident where no one is hurt, or one that
involves a person's use of plant or machinery. In other circumstances, the
occurrence of the incident may have been brought on by an accident that happened
unexpectedly or by chance.

Employers in South Africa are in charge of creating and maintaining a safe and
healthy workplace, as determined by the (OHS Act) Occupational Health and Safety
Act and complying with the provisions of the Act. Recording accidents as they
happen, keeping track of them, looking into them as they happen, and encouraging
injured employees to report them to the proper authorities are all methods for
ensuring a safe workplace.

To guarantee employee safety and lower the likelihood of injuries to other

employees, workplace injuries must be reported and thoroughly investigated. By
reporting occurrences, you may help ensure a safe workplace and stop similar
situations from happening again. To prevent long-term consequences for both the
company and the employee, it is the employer's responsibility to report problems by
designating an investigating officer. The efficacy of a company's health and safety
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management program can be evaluated in large part by how well incidents are
reported.

2. Problem statement
This submission intends to report, document, and investigate an occurrence that
happened and was reported as an injury sustained while performing work-related
duties by one of the company's employees. During the course of carrying out
assigned tasks at their designated work location, an employee reported
telephonically to their supervisor who was at the office that they had been injured at
the project site. The injured employee reported that while they were busy working
onsite at Road D676 at around 3:30 p.m. on Monday, 27 February 2023, the
machinery they operate malfunctioned and injured them on the leg.

The injured employee has been hired by the business as a Road Worker, and their
job is to execute routine road maintenance which includes patching of potholes on
the company's network of roads. They often operate a compaction machine
(bowmag), which is a specialized machine, and had acquired formal certification
training.

During the course of the investigation, the investigating officer discovered an

eyewitness, and it was her legal responsibility to arrange and conduct an interview
with this person. Mr. RJ Baloyi was identified as an eyewitness due to his proximity
to the incident and his capacity to provide crucial details and insight into the
circumstances leading up to the tragedy.

3. Discussion
Communication involves the exchange of information through speaking or writing, as
well as the use of technology such as phones and computers. It allows for the
sharing of ideas and emotions between individuals. This discussion focuses on
elements of communication and skills, including interviewing, listening, and report
writing, that are necessary for effective communication and will be explained in detail
in the next paragraphs. The skills as explained earlier were very much helpful in
structuring this report which entails that I had to write a report which is factual,
correct, concise, clear, and logically arranged. Planning and self-preparation are key
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skills to be employed prior to conducting an interview. Also without employing

listening skills, your interview will be meaningless.

In planning for the interview, the investigating officer considered key tactics,
strategies, techniques, methods, and approaches that should be applied when
conducting an interview, to create and achieve clear and effective communication.

As part of her preparation for the interview, the officer found a place for the meeting
and made sure it was a proper, welcoming, and accommodating setting. She then
requested a brief meeting with the company's a hired civil engineer so they can
enlighten and provide her with information as she was unfamiliar with the topic of
road maintenance.

The officer planned out a series of questions for the interview, then created a list of
questions to pose to the eyewitness. After finishing the document, they logically
structured the questions to help the eyewitness recall the incident in order. Lastly,
they proofread and finalized their questionnaire list.

Two days after the incident occurred, the officer contacted and arranged a meeting
with the witness. They met at the specified location, time, and date and then
engaged in a two-way conversation as they were the only two people present. She
greeted the witness politely, made a brief introduction of herself, and provided an
anticipated time for the meeting. She ensured the witness that they are not in trouble
and that no one is to blame while also making the witness feel at ease and
explaining the meeting's objective. She requested the witness if she may record the
interview and reaffirmed to them that everything was done in accordance with the
(POPI Act) Protection of Personal Information Act.

Before the interview, the officer informed the witness that it would be conducted in a
language that is widely spoken throughout the world however they may incorporate a
language of their choice, for as long as it is appropriate for the interview's subject
matter and does not contain slang. In addition, she reminded them of their
fundamental human rights, including the freedom of choice, which allows them to
use or speak any of South Africa's eleven official languages.

During the interview, the witness was allowed to completely explain and express
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themselves without hesitation, doubt, or fear. The officer asked the witness one
question at a time. While continuing to take important notes without interrupting the
speaker, they listened attentively and took note of the speaker's hand gestures and
other body language. Additionally, the speaker was allowed to ask questions as they
came up, which let the speaker determine whether the interviewer was paying
attention and listening. Due to the likelihood of session distraction, cell phone use
was not permitted. Throughout the interview, the officer made sure there was no
outside noise or movement that may disrupt the questioning.

The interview questions are as follows:

• Describe the incident's location, date, and time.
• Outline your position inside the company.
• What is your relationship to the injured employee?
• What responsibilities did you have?
• What were you doing when the incident occurred?
• What was the injured worker doing at the time the accident occurred?
• Explain what happened based on what you witnessed.

The witness's response:

During a workday on February 27, 2023, I was assisting a colleague with routine
road maintenance duties at Road D676. As a Driver Operator in my capacity, part of
my responsibilities is to transport personnel and equipment to the project site. After
lunch at 1:30 p.m., my colleague requested my help to load the compaction machine
(bowmag) onto the vehicle so he could leave early. We utilized a company-provided
ramp to load the machine onto the back of the vehicle, but the machine slipped
during the loading process, causing my colleague to suffer a leg injury.

4. Findings and recommendations

It has been found that the injured worker acted unethically by wanting to leave their
workplace early, which goes against the company's code of conduct. Their actions
could have put others at risk, and they also provided false information about their
injury, breaking the law. Therefore, it is necessary to take corrective disciplinary
measures to address their behavior.
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It was observed that the employees were working without any supervision. It is
recommended that the supervisors be given leadership training to ensure that they
provide proper guidance to their team.

An employee might have been exhausted, which is why they had to leave work early.
The Human Resource Division should encourage employees to take vacation leave
whenever they need time off from work.

It also was noticed that the employees have not received any safety skills training.
Therefore, they should be trained in the proper handling of equipment and instructed
to report any defects or malfunctions to the relevant authorities.

5. Conclusion
Every employee must prioritize their safety, health, and well-being while at work.
They should also consider how their actions may affect others around them.
Managers should establish boundaries for employees arriving late or leaving early to
maintain productivity and ensure that services are delivered to clients. Failure to
enforce these boundaries may result in a decline in production and negatively impact
the company's success.

DIRECTOR: CORPORATE SERVICES

Date: 2023/03/08
Report compiled by:
Telephone number: 018 492 0442
Date: 03 March 2023
Job title: Labour Relations Officer

Report was verified and approved by:

Job title: Director: Corporate Services
Telephone number: 012 393 0448
Date: 08 March 2023