Incident and Near Miss Procedure

1. Purpose

This policy is designed to:

Fulfil our responsibility to safeguard members and third parties
Ensure that incidents causing harm or damage are reported promptly to the BCA and insurers
Provide clear guidance to trip leaders and participants when an incident or near miss occurs
Enable the club to learn from incidents and prevent recurrence
Maintain compliance with our insurance requirements

No caving activities can be entirely devoid of inherent risks. Accidents, incidents, and near misses will happen from time to time. Every Caving Crew member accepts the BCA participation statement when joining.

A systematic approach to examining circumstances leading to any incident or near miss helps minimise the possibility of recurrence and contributes to the safety of the wider caving community.

2. Scope

This policy applies to:

All Caving Crew trips and activities (Tuesday evenings, weekend trips, Giggletrips, training sessions)
All members, guests, and participants on Caving Crew activities
Committee members in their roles responding to incidents

Crew members on personal trips would be well advised to follow this, but are not compelled.

3. Definitions

3.1 Incident

An incident refers to an unplanned event or occurrence resulting in:

Injury (including fatal injury) to any person
Physical, emotional, or psychological harm
Damage to property (including third-party property, cave features, or equipment)
Any situation that could potentially lead to a claim against the club

3.2 Near Miss

A near miss refers to a situation, or series of events, that could have resulted in an incident causing harm but did not, either due to:

Preventive actions taken
Absence of final causation
Good fortune

Examples in caving contexts include: equipment failures caught before use, loose rocks dislodged but missing people, SRT errors corrected before consequence, hypothermia symptoms identified and addressed early.

3.3 Severity Categories

Category	Description	Examples
Minor	First aid only, no lasting impact	Small cuts, bruises, minor equipment damage
Moderate	Medical attention required, temporary impact	Sprains, cuts requiring stitches, moderate hypothermia
Serious	Hospital treatment, potential long-term impact	Fractures, head injuries, serious hypothermia
Major	Life-threatening, permanent impact, or fatality	Multiple injuries, drowning, fatal falls

4. Responsibilities

4.1 Trip Leaders

Ensure all participants are briefed on emergency procedures before going underground
Make sure the group carries a Caving Crew Leader Bag with first aid kit, group shelter, and emergency equipment
Make sure a callout is set
Take charge of immediate incident response
Ensure incidents are reported to the committee promptly
Complete the Incident Report Form within 24 hours

4.2 All Participants

Follow leader instructions during any incident
Report any near misses or safety concerns to the trip leader
Provide witness statements if requested
Support fellow participants during and after incidents

4.3 Secretary

Receive and log all incident reports
Assign investigation responsibility as appropriate
Ensure BCA and insurers are notified within required timeframes
Maintain the incident register
Report incident summaries to committee meetings

4.4 Committee

Review incident reports at committee meetings
Approve any policy or procedural changes arising from incidents
Ensure lessons learned are communicated to membership
Support affected members following incidents

5. Immediate Response Procedure

5.1 Within Seconds/Minutes – At the Scene

Step 1: Make the scene safe

Assess for ongoing hazards (falling rocks, rising water, unstable ground)
Do not put yourself or others at additional risk
If in doubt, wait and observe before approaching

Step 2: Reach the casualty safely

Call for any first aiders in the group
If a fall or technical incident, ensure the area is secured before approach

Step 3: Provide first aid

Primary survey: Airway, Breathing, Circulation
Control any serious bleeding
Keep casualty warm – use group shelter if available
Do not move the casualty unless essential for safety
Reassure and monitor the casualty continuously

Step 4: Call for help (if needed)

For cave rescue, the procedure is:

Call 999
Ask for Police
Ask for Cave Rescue

Information to provide:

Your exact location (cave name, region, passage)
Nature and severity of injuries
Number of people in the group
Any treatment already given
Your contact details AND a backup phone number
Current conditions underground (water levels, temperature)

Wait by the phone – the police dispatcher will ask for loads of information you won’t know. The Cave Rescue controller who calls you back will want to hear all the information you have again.

Step 5: Manage the group

Assign someone to stay with the casualty
Keep the rest of the group warm, fed, and informed
Consider whether part of the group should exit to meet rescue services
Preserve everyone’s wellbeing – this is traumatic for witnesses too

5.2 Within Hours – Post-Incident

Reporting

Contact the Committee as soon as practicable (phone or message) – https://m.me/TheCavingCrew
For serious incidents, the Secretary will escalate to the Chair and relevant committee members

Next of kin

The committee (usually Chair or Secretary) will contact next of kin if the casualty is unable to do so

Documentation

Write down everything you can remember as soon as possible
Include: timeline, who was present, what happened, what actions were taken
This is difficult but invaluable – memories fade and details matter

Information management

Keep information within the group until the committee authorises wider communication
Do not speak to media – refer any enquiries to the Chair
Do not post on social media or discuss publicly
Do not talk to the press or discuss in public group chats
Encourage people to avoid speculation in public about causes or blame – encourage people to record accounts if they are keen to talk about it
CRITICAL: In NO circumstances should you admit liability or agree to pay for any damage caused, as this may prejudice the position of insurers and could result in the withdrawal of indemnity.
CRITICAL: Every letter, claim, writ, summons, and legal process in connection with an incident must be forwarded to the Secretary immediately on receipt for immediate transmission to the insurer/BCA.

5.3 Within 24-48 Hours

Incident Report Form

The trip leader (or designated person) must complete the Caving Crew Incident Report Form
Submit to the Secretary within 24 hours

Insurance notification

For any incident that could lead to a claim, the Secretary will notify insurers via BCA IMMEDIATELY and in writing. Immediate notice is required for any claim or circumstance that may give rise to a claim.
This must happen within 14 days for minor incidents, but IMMEDIATELY is required for all claims or potential claims.
Late notification may void insurance coverage

Welfare checks

Committee to check in with all those involved
Everyone present at an incident is affected, not just the casualty
Signpost to support resources if needed

Expense management

Any members who incurred costs supporting the response should notify the Treasurer
The club will reimburse reasonable expenses (e.g. fuel for people going out of their way to help, cheap hotels for people staying locally to support someone in hospital, unexpected meals)

5.4 Within Weeks/Months

Investigation

The Secretary will assign an investigator (usually a committee member not directly involved)
Investigation to be completed within 60 days where possible
Focus is on learning and prevention, not blame

BCA reporting

Submit to BCA incident reporting system to support community learning

Review and learning

Findings presented to committee
Policy or procedural changes implemented as needed
Lessons shared with membership if appropriate (appropriately anonymised)

6. Near Miss Reporting

Near misses are valuable learning opportunities. We encourage all members to report near misses so we can identify patterns and prevent future incidents.

6.1 How to Report

Email the Secretary with a brief description
Use the Near Miss Report Form (available on the website)
Raise at a committee meeting during member question time
Reports can be anonymous

6.2 What Happens Next

Near misses are logged in the incident register
Patterns are reviewed at committee meetings
Significant near misses may trigger procedural reviews
Anonymised summaries may be shared with membership for learning

6.3 BCA Near Miss Reporting

Members are also encouraged to submit near misses to the BCA’s incident reporting system. This helps the wider caving community learn from our experiences. The BCA form allows confidential submission.

7. Record Keeping

7.1 Incident Register

The Secretary maintains an incident register containing:

Date, location, and type of incident
People involved (kept confidential as appropriate)
Summary of what happened
Actions taken
Investigation outcome
Any changes implemented

7.2 Retention

Incident records are retained for a minimum of 7 years, and significantly longer where the incident involves a minor.
Records are stored securely with access limited to committee members

7.3 Confidentiality

Personal details are kept confidential
Anonymised summaries may be shared for learning purposes
Full details are only shared with insurers, BCA, or authorities as required

8. Insurance and BCA Requirements

8.1 Insurance Coverage

The Caving Crew holds Public Liability Insurance through BCA Combined Liability Insurance. This covers:

Members participating in club activities
Committee members in their roles
Third-party claims arising from club activities

8.2 Notification Requirements

Incident Type	Notify BCA/Insurers	Timeframe
Any claim or circumstance that may give rise to a claim	Yes	Immediate
Fatality	Yes	Immediate
Allegations of libel/slander	Yes	Immediate
Allegations of professional negligence (e.g., arising out of tuition, coaching or advice)	Yes	Immediate
Any circumstance that has triggered an investigation under your safeguarding policy	Yes	Immediate
Any injury meeting the definition in 8.2.1	Yes	Immediate
Any injury requiring hospital treatment	Yes	Within 14 days
Any incident involving a third party	Yes	Within 14 days
Property damage	Yes	Within 14 days

8.2.1 Definition of Notifiable Injury (for Insurance Purposes)

The following injuries must be reported to the Secretary for immediate notification to the BCA/Insurers:

Any head injury that requires medical treatment (doctor or hospital)
Any fracture other than to fingers, thumbs or toes
Any amputation, dislocation of the shoulder, hip, knee or spine
Loss of sight (whether temporary or permanent)
Any injury resulting from electrical shock or burn, leading to unconsciousness or requiring resuscitation or admittance to hospital for more than 24 hours
Any other injury leading to hypothermia, heat induced illness or to unconsciousness which requires resuscitation or admittance to hospital for more than 24 hours
Loss of consciousness caused by asphyxia or by exposure to a harmful substance or biological agent

This list is not exhaustive. If you are unsure whether an incident should be reported, report it anyway – it is better to over-report than under-report.

8.3 What Insurers Need

When notifying insurers, provide:

Date, time, and location of incident
Names, addresses, and roles of all involved (participants and witnesses)
Description of injuries and/or losses
Any treatment given
Contact details for the club’s representative

8.4 Reporting Incidents to External Authorities (RIDDOR)

The Caving Crew may also have obligations under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) to report certain serious incidents to the Health & Safety Executive (HSE).
The Secretary is responsible for assessing whether an incident meets the RIDDOR criteria and making the report within the required timeframe.
Further information can be found on the HSE website: https://www.hse.gov.uk/riddor/

9. Support and Welfare

9.1 Immediate Support

Following any incident, the committee will:

Check in with all those involved within 48 hours
Offer to discuss what happened
Signpost professional support if needed

9.2 Ongoing Support

Members affected by incidents can request ongoing support from the committee
The club will make reasonable adjustments to help members return to caving when ready
There is no pressure to return – everyone processes these experiences differently

9.3 External Resources

Samaritans: 116 123
Mind: 0300 123 3393
BCA welfare resources (via BCA website)

10. Learning and Prevention

10.1 Incident Review

All incidents and significant near misses are reviewed to identify:

Root causes
Contributing factors
What worked well in the response
What could be improved
Recommended actions

10.2 Implementing Changes

Recommendations may include:

Updates to policies or procedures
Additional training requirements
Equipment changes
Communication improvements

The committee will assign owners and deadlines for all actions.

10.3 Sharing Learning

Lessons can be shared through:

Anonymised summaries in committee reports
Updates to trip briefing content
Training sessions where appropriate
Contributions to BCA incident reporting (anonymised)

11. Related Documents

Trip Leader Guidelines
Leader Bag Contents Checklist
Emergency Contact Card (carried in Leader Bags)
BCA Participation Statement
Risk Assessment Process

12. Review

This policy will be reviewed annually by the committee, or sooner if:

A significant incident occurs
BCA or insurance requirements change
Gaps or issues are identified

Appendix A: Incident Report Form

The Caving Crew – Incident Report Form

Submit to Secretary within 24 hours of incident

Section 1: Basic Information

Date of incident:
Time of incident:
Location (cave/mine name, specific area):
Grid reference (if known):
Trip type: [ ] Tuesday Evening [ ] Weekend [ ] Giggletrip [ ] Training [ ] Other
Trip leader name:
Report completed by:
Date of report:

Section 2: People Involved

Casualty/affected person(s):

Name:
Role: [ ] Member [ ] Guest [ ] Leader [ ] Other
Contact details:

Witnesses:

Name and contact details for each witness

Section 3: What Happened

Describe the incident in detail. Include: what was happening before, during, and after the incident; sequence of events; environmental conditions.

Section 4: Injuries and Treatment

Nature of injuries:
First aid given:
Medical attention required: [ ] None [ ] First aid only [ ] GP [ ] A&E [ ] Hospital admission
Current status of casualty:

Section 5: Equipment Involved

Was club equipment involved? [ ] Yes [ ] No
If yes, describe:
Equipment condition:
Equipment secured/isolated: [ ] Yes [ ] No [ ] N/A

Section 6: Emergency Services

Emergency services called: [ ] Yes [ ] No
Which services:
Time called:
Arrival time:
Actions taken by services:

Section 7: Initial Assessment

What do you think contributed to this incident?
What could have prevented it?
Any immediate recommendations?

Section 8: Follow-up

Has the casualty been contacted since the incident? [ ] Yes [ ] No
Have witnesses been contacted? [ ] Yes [ ] No
Any outstanding actions?

Appendix B: Near Miss Report Form

The Caving Crew – Near Miss Report Form

Can be submitted anonymously

Date:
Location:
What happened:
What prevented it becoming an incident:
Any recommendations:
Your name (optional):
Contact details (optional):

Appendix C: Emergency Contact Card

Carried in all Leader Bags

Cave Rescue: 999 > Police > Cave Rescue

Caving Crew Emergency Contacts:

Secretary: [phone number]
Chair: [phone number]
Alternative: [phone number]

Useful Information:

Club Name: The Caving Crew
BCA Affiliated Club
Link to Incident Procedure

At the scene, record:

Exact location
Number of people
Nature of injuries
Treatment given
Your phone number + backup

Document Control

Version	Date	Author	Changes
1.0 DRAFT	Jan 2026	Tim Dobson	Initial draft adapted from Climbing Clan policy
1.1 DRAFT	Jan 2026	Tim Dobson	Updated to incorporate Howden insurance guidance: strengthened notification timeframes, added notifiable injury definitions, added RIDDOR section, added liability/legal document handling requirements, updated retention for minors

This policy was adapted from The Climbing Clan Incident Procedure with thanks.

Version: 1.0

Last updated: 18 January 2026

Updated by: Committee Majority Approval

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