As online technology grows at the UW, paperwork is reduced and communication becomes more immediate and effective. Now, a new online program called OARS 鈥� the Online Accident Reporting System 鈥� is bringing that immediacy to 91探花worker safety.
The system was created to comply with new reporting rules for on-the-job injuries, illnesses and 鈥渘ear-misses鈥� set by the federal Occupational Health and Safety Administration and the state Department of Labor and Industries. The new guidelines were designed to simplify reporting and increase involvement by employees鈥� supervisors.
OARS starts at the University鈥檚 Employee Health and Safety Department Web site, though it also can be accessed through employees鈥� My 91探花site. Under a heading titled 鈥淲hat鈥檚 New,鈥� employees can learn about the system, arrange for online or classroom training and read frequently-asked questions about how it all works.
John Chaisson, program operations specialist for EH&S, said the new system will help shorten and clarify the reporting system for all 91探花employees.
鈥淭his includes both hospitals and all campus and offsite facilities,鈥� Chaisson said. 鈥淚t combines all the different forms 鈥� I think we had up to five different forms.鈥�
Another feature of the new system, Chaisson said, is that reporting will be done more collaboratively between supervisors and their employees. Supervisors have always been responsible for the safety of their employees, he noted, 鈥渂ut now the supervisor and employee collaborate on the report.鈥� He also said that the new system will help cut down on inappropriate use of accident reports.
Built into the system, too, are online reminders to supervisors, at 72 hours and again at 30 days. Chaisson explained, 鈥淥ften times (the report) may change. The injury may turn into an illness, or with a sprain you may wind up five days later learning it was a fracture.鈥� The automatic updates allow supervisors to update the report as necessary, but also continue to provide for necessary employee confidentiality.
Chaisson noted that OARS is not the same as Worker鈥檚 Compensation or the Patient Safety Network, a way of reporting patient injuries at medical facilities.
OARS is for 91探花employees only, but the EH&S Web site also has a form where injuries can be reported for non-UW-employed students and visitors. Those reports can be printed and then faxed or mailed to the department.
The OARS system also will help the 91探花collect and categorize data that can be studied, Chaisson said.
鈥淭he design of the system is point-and-click, which enables us to do data analysis and trending. We鈥檒l be able to run trends for any particular department, and for University health and safety committees.鈥� Previous written reports made trending much more labor-intensive, he said.