What is a Critical Incident ?

A critical incident is a traumatic event for an employee, a group of employees or the organization such as:

• Assaults at the workplace.
• Sudden death or suicide of a fellow worker.
• Personals accidents.
• Fire or explosions at the workplace.
• Violent aggressions by clients or demonstrators.
  

A critical incident can cause :

In the immediate subsequent days :

• Emotional instability.
• Mental confusion.
• Concentration loss.
• Affection despondency.
• Loss of motivation on the job.

Post-traumatic stress can occur some time later :

• Constant pondering on the event.
• Recurrent dreams about the event.
• Deep anxiety when the circumstances surrounding the traumatic incident are recalled.
• Tendency to avoid places or persons that are a reminder of the event.
• The Assistance Service for Critical Incidents is a procedure that aims to prevent the mentioned problems

Results derived from the Assistance Service for Critical Incidents :

For the organization:

• Facilitate recovery of the human work team.
• Prevent absenteeism.
• Maintain employees productivity.
• Uphold motivation.
• Transfer to personnel concern and interest in their well-being.
  
  

For the employee :

• Understanding of the emotional impact.
• Provide contention and orientation.
• Avoid post-traumatic stress.
• Prevent the workplace from evoking feelings of sadness, anxiety or despondency.
• Facilitate rapid morale recovery.

Service :

• Advice to management immediately after the incident.
• Immediate contention following the incident.
• Structured and planned interventions within 72 hours following the incident.
• Subsequent follow up of the persons involved.