According to the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, a critical incident is an abnormal or traumatic event with the potential to overwhelm a person's usual coping mechanisms, resulting in psychological distress and an impairment of normal adaptive functioning. In the workplace, this might be an event that could result in changes in employee behavior and/or productivity.
Examples of critical incidents in the workplace include but are not limited to:
- Suicide or sudden death
- Homicide
- Robbery
- Fire/explosion
- Hostage situation
- Physical/sexual assaults
- Violent act/threats of violence
- Worksite accidents
- Industrial and natural disasters
Employees and managers who experience, witness, or who are involved in a critical incident at UAB should immediately contact the EACC during normal business hours at 205-934-2281. If an incident occurs after normal business hours or on the weekend, contact the UAB EACC emergency counselor on-call through UAB Paging at 205-934-3411.