BMC Incident and Near-miss Reporting - FAQs
Q: Can I report an incident or near-miss happening anywhere in the world?
A: Whilst hill walkers, climbers and mountaineers travel far and wide for their activities, only reports for incidents and near-misses in the UK and Ireland will be considered for the twelve-month trial.
Q: What will happen at the end of the twelve-month trial?
A: The reports submitted will be analysed and a review published. The focus will be on lessons that can be learnt from the incidents and near-misses submitted.
Q: Will the reporting database continue after the twelve-month trial?
A: The BMC will make a decision about the long term viability of the database by considering its uptake, success and the BMC’s capacity to continue providing the service.
Q: Why are reports moderated before being published?
A: Volunteer moderators may be concerned about reports for reasons such as:
- Offensive or discriminatory language.
- Libel concerns.
- Identification of individuals or organisations where it is not clear that consent has been given.
Q: Do moderators edit reports?
A: No. Moderators may ask the submitter to edit their report before it can be published for reasons such as those above.
Q: How can I ensure anonymity when submitting a report?
A: As well as not providing names, consider if other information may make compromise anonymity. For example, including a phrase such as this may not ensure anonymity, ‘During our hill walking club’s annual Easter meet in Borrowdale…..’
Q: What about incidents involving gear failure?
A: Consider also submitting a gear failure report.
Q: Can I report incidents which occur at a climbing wall?
A: Yes, but please ensure that the wall remains anonymous. The behaviour or actions leading to the incident are more important to record than the location.
Q: Can I add photos to my report?
A: Yes, photos can add to the story you convey in your report. However we don't want to reduce the beneficial impact of your story so our moderators will only publish photos that avoid graphic illustration of injuries.