Introduction
An injury report is a useful tool in preparedness and dealing with emergencies. It spells out roles that will be taken up with various stakeholders when emergencies occur and reduce the occurrences of injuries in the first place. It has several advantages especially in areas where accidents are likely to occur.
Purpose of the injury report Form
The major purpose of an injury report is to provide information to specialist in a quick and comprehensive way. A filled form has specifics on how the injury occurred and where exactly the injured individual is injured. It also sets out what first-aid procedure was visited on the individual. With all this information, the specialists have a faster way to deal with the emergency when the injured person is taken to hospital (Markel, 2009). It provides an easy breakdown that will increase the rate at which the injured individual will be attended.
Another purpose of the injury report is to keep records. It is important in any institution to keep records for virtually everything. In a sports situation, it is important to keep records for various reasons. Records provide a comprehensive pool of information that is very important because this information makes it easy to anticipate and act with precedence to these situations. The report provides information that acts as an information source for the institution.
From the records, the institution can plan strategically for the safety of the individuals in the institution. Through deliberate research, one is able to identify where accidents are likely to happen, which are the most prevalent accidents and how they have been controlled (Pfeiffer & Adkins, 2009). Thus, the comprehensive research will allow stakeholders to draw a safety plan that will minimize accidents and enforce a precedent approach to various case scenarios that increase response to various incidents. That the injury report is an important tool for strategic planning in the institution.
Development and Use of the Injury report Form
An injury report is developed form questioning an injured individual for signs of discomfort and establishing what actually is the area afflicted (Markel, 2009). Thus, it is part of the diagnosis process and provides information for right calling as to what the affliction is. It allows the first aider to understand the problem and try assisting an injured individual.
It also provides a reference for the injury when the need arises. If someone is injured and hospitalized and a certain detail is required about the accident then the injury report acts as a powerful tool of reference (Pfeiffer & Adkins, 2009). It can also be used as reference in case of legal complications that arise as a matter of negligence or other safety scenarios. It can be substantiated and qualified as a direct account at the scene of the accident. Thus, it should be comprehensive and pay attention to detail especially in time and situation.
An injury report addresses several people in an accident situation regarding how they can help alleviate the plight of the injured individual. All those addressed in the report ought to work together establishing the quickest and the best way to alleviate the suffering of the injured.
The first person addressed by the report is the injured person. When people are involved in an accident, they lose focus, and their mind is clouded by fear, instinct and irrationality. An injury report is a guide to communication that will help the injured person to communicate his situation and thus aid those who want to help him/her. It offers stability in the injured person and guides them in establishing where they are injured.
Then it addresses the people around the injured person at the exact time of the incident. Research established that most people do not have elementary knowledge on injury management. Most people are at a loss of what to do when they face a situation on the occurrence of the injury. In the report, several things ought to be done and will be later documented. Details on first aid, need to call the authorities, to call for an ambulance incase it is serious and generally handling the patient are required (Pfeiffer & Adkins, 2009). Therefore, once the accident occurs, the duties being fulfilled help to decrease the risk of the accidents worsening due to negligence or wrong handling of the injured patient.
The third person being addressed buys the injury report is the person doing the first aid. He is assisted with the guidelines of what areas to check for injuries. In fact, it is the person doing the first aid that is largely addressed. He has to establish the extent and nature of injury and recommend a course of action. Through the set out questions, he will establish the problem that he is dealing with and thus help to alleviate the suffering of the injured person.
An injury report also addresses the hospital staff where the patient has been referred. The medical personnel use this as a primary tool for information on the state of the patient. They use the form to establish the fastest way in which they can deal with the situation. In instances of unconsciousness, it allows them to understand the situation as the patient is incapacitated. It is thus a very important informational tool for medical personnel for cases referred to hospitals and other health facilities.
It is also notable that the injury report has several secondary people to which it addresses. The report addresses the departments involved where the scene of the accident occurred. It notifies the institution on the accident and spells out the status quo of the incident for documentation and accountability. The institution has to know what is happening in it, therefore, the report provides it with information that allows them to deal with such situations in the future.
It also addresses the management of the institution as a tool for planning. When safety requirements need to be met, it comes in handy to planning. Information from the injury report helps make plans. It helps to develop safety criteria that will address the causes of injuries in the institution. It also sets out to help the planning managers develop comprehensive reaction to precedent situations that can be derived from the research on the information provided by the injury reports.
A plan involving staff and volunteers can be developed in order to deal with accident situations in the various departments of various institution like the Acron Valley University. Injury reports will help draft an emergency plan in case of injuries to the athletic teams such as; cheerleading, athletic teams and clubs such as theater, chess and science.
Several stakeholders being addressed by the injury report as aforementioned should carry out the roles it spells out for them and help to deal with accident situations as fast as possible. The injury form should be filled and all the activities it addresses should be handled by the staff, and volunteer students and follow up be made to keep the accident database up to date, and beneficiary to the institution.
Conclusion
It is important to focus on the injuries and later on do the documentation. The university ought to set up a volunteer training to increase the pace of reaction to injury incidents. The university ought to rally all resources at its disposal to tackle such instances at all times.
References
Markel, M. (2009). Technical Communication. New York, NY: Bedford/St. Martins.
Pfeiffer, W. & Adkins, K. (2009). Technical Communication: A Practical Approach. Upper Saddle river, NJ: Prentice Hall.