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SERIOUS ACCIDENT AFFECTING A CUSTOMER/EMPLOYEE

NOTICE
This guidance is an aid to managing sensitive situations.
Its recommendations may be followed simultaneously, or in a different order, as the situation requires.
Swift action is essential: the first hour is crucial.
The top priority is to take effective action.
Managing sensitive situations is a team effort involving all levels of the organisation.

Definition: Any life-threatening event where a customer or employee is the victim, e.g. a
fall, drowning, suffocation, collision, electrocution, burns or injury (by way of
examples) that occurs in or on the hotel premises.

>> First of all

Security measures
 Ensure the victim is safe and provide first aid.
 Secure the accident site.
Protect anything useful to a possible investigation (do not touch anything)
If need be, set up a security cordon to prevent further subsequent accidents and provide easier access for the
emergency services.

Alert the emergency services and/or relevant authorities (police, health authority, etc.).
 Call the emergency services (Ambulance 15 / Fire brigade 18).
 Call the police (17) if the incident was caused by a malicious act.

If a death has occurred, please refer to the Death of a customer/employee guidance.

>> Once the immediate danger has passed

 Designate the Crisis Committee, convene a meeting with the members to coordinate the next steps
to take.
Organise help for victims
 Designate a member of staff to greet and guide the emergency services and authorities.
 Collect key information about the victim.
Name, address, people to contact, medical information, etc.
 Ensure family/friends are looked after (especially children and dependent adults) if they are in the
hotel.
 Inform hotel staff.
 Keep to the facts to prevent rumours.
 Remind them to make no comment if asked questions by the media or other customers.

Report to immediate line manager or crisis coordinator

 Contact the country/region management (immediate line manager and HR for an employee) or the
crisis coordinator at the country/region head office, as soon as possible.
If they cannot be reached, contact the Worldwide Crisis Committee on +33 609 100 200 (24/7) for country
or worldwide crisis situations.

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 Serious customer/employee accident

Assess the situation with the person contacted:

o What is the presumed cause of the accident?
o Is the victim a vulnerable person or a child?
o What is the impact on the hotel’s business and on other customers or employees?
o Is the victim, or any of the victim’s family and friends, a celebrity? 1
o Is there media coverage or a media presence?
 Send the Report on initial information.
Template downloadable from AccorLive/Safety and Security Department/Crisis Management/Hotels.
Recipients: immediate line manager and country/region crisis coordinator.
Copy: Worldwide Crisis Committee (alert.hotline@accor.com) if necessary.

Dealing with media pressure

 Contact the country/region Communications Department and follow their instructions.
 Pending specific instructions:
 Avoid making any comment. The following response can be used to deal with inquiries:
“Everything has been done to give first aid to the victim. We cannot comment further at the
moment.”
If police involvement is clearly visible:
“Everything has been done to give first aid to the victim. We are in the process of collecting
the information needed by investigators. As a police investigation is underway, we cannot
comment further.”
Even if the media make repeated inquiries, it is advisable not to agree to any interviews and repeat the
“holding message” until instructions are received from the Communication Department.
 Remind staff of this directive.
 Provide a suitable, separate holding area for the media.
 Check call handling at the switchboard/reception (call forwarding or collecting of contact details).

Managing the situation

 Open the log book at the earliest possible opportunity.
Template downloadable from AccorLive/Safety and Security Department/Crisis Management/Hotels.
Record events, decisions taken, steps taken and names of the persons involved, in detail and with exact
timing, as and when they occur.
Always record the identity of persons involved in on-site operations (excluding the emergency services).
 If the victim cannot do so himself/herself, and with his/her agreement:
 If domestic regulations so require, the police will inform the family.
 In the absence of specific regulations and with the agreement of the police, the GM (or the country HR
Dept. for an employee):
o Will inform the family for a customer or employee who is a national of the country.
o Will contact the consulate or embassy of the customer’s or employee’s home country, which will
take charge of contacting the family.
o In respect of an organised trip, will inform the family in conjunction with the trip organiser or
tour operator.
 In the various situations described above, pass on a direct telephone number for contacting the GM without
going through reception.
 Keep to the facts about the circumstances surrounding the accident.
 Ensure the family/friends of the victim are looked after if they go to the hotel.
 Ensure the victim’s personal effects are kept securely.
Prepare a joint inventory of the victim’s personal effects in the presence of a manager and possibly a police
officer or member of the emergency services.

1
The involvement of a celebrity does not change the assistance provided by AccorHotels, but it might have an effect on how
information and communication are handled.

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 Serious customer/employee accident

>> Monitoring the situation

Keep an audit trail of events, decisions and actions
 Continue to update the log book, and keep it and all documents related to managing the event
secure.
(In case of any legal proceedings.)
 Keep customers and staff regularly informed of the facts as known.
 Seek out and collect useful witness statements from customers and staff.
Note their contact details: full name, address and telephone numbers (see witness statement guidance
template).
 Photograph or film the site concerned (but do not photograph any victims) and damage to
property.
 Keep CCTV footage, and prepare a copy for the police if necessary.
 Identify the causes of the accident, and eliminate any source of danger permanently.
 Submit a claim to the insurance company and/or broker.
 In France, in the event of malicious acts, fill in the Incident report available in the Security section
of the Hotels France intranet.

Assist victims with future arrangements

 Obtain regular updates in the event of hospitalisation (or sick leave).
 Offer help and support to victims in procedural matters.
For example, subsequent medical consultations, pressing charges, airport transfer, repatriation, etc.
Remember to retain documents providing evidence of assistance offered.
 Offer counselling to staff and customers who might need it.
Remember to retain documents providing evidence of assistance offered.

If applicable in the country in question, convene a meeting of the Occupational Health and
Safety Committee.

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