BCSSA Accident and Incident Policy - Definitions

Accident

• An event that results in harm to people, damage to property or equipment.

Incident

• An event that, under slightly different circumstances, could have resulted in harm to people, damage to property or equipment, or potential future legal action.

• Examples include a slip or fall that did not result in an physical injury, escalating issues between Executive/Coach/ Parent or Swimmer, or a mechanical problem with equipment at the pool.

• Sometimes an incident is referred to as a “near-miss.”

Preventable

• It is becoming an accepted belief in safety and risk management that all accidents are preventable. This means that for every accident or incident there is something that could have been done to avoid it.

Vicarious Liability

• An organization is liable for the negligent action (s) of its employees and/or volunteers. Therefore, if the organization assigns a coach to look after swimmers using sports or recreational equipment or during scheduled practice time, and the coach’s negligence results in someone getting hurt, the organization may be held responsible.

Next step in the section


Back to section listing