Facts About CAIRS

What is CAIRS?

CAIRS is a database used to collect and analyze DOE and DOE contractor reports of injuries, illnesses, and other accidents that occur during DOE operations in accordance with DOE Order 231.1. CAIRS reporting is managed by the Office of Corporate Safety Programs (HS-31), with hardware and software support from the Office of Information Management (HS-1.22).

Who is allowed access to CAIRS?

Access to CAIRS is available through registration, and is free of charge to the staff of all DOE organizations and contractors for use in conducting their official duties. CAIRS users have access to all records in the database. However, CAIRS does contain sensitive information, and fields containing these data are masked from the view of general users. Access to sensitive data requires special authorization. The CAIRS Standard Reports (discussed below) are available to any Internet user by selecting the Statistics icon at http://www.hss.energy.gov/csa/analysis/cairs.

What types of data does CAIRS contain?

The data contained in CAIRS consist of DOE and DOE contractor reports of injury/illness, property damage, and vehicle accident events. It also includes exposure information such as hours worked, miles driven, property valuation, etc. that can be used to calculate accident rates.

How many years of data are available?

The CAIRS database contains individual accident reports and exposure information from 1983 to the present for injury/illness cases. It also contains vehicle and property damage cases and exposure information from 1975 to the present. Statistical data (rates and summarized counts of events) are also available.

How often are CAIRS data updated?

The database is continually being updated. The Manual, DOE M 231.1-1A, requires that all new injury/illness reports be submitted twice each month on or before the 15th and the last workday of the month. However, new or revised accident reports may be submitted at any time, and some organizations do submit this information more frequently. Workhours and revisions are required quarterly.

How are CAIRS data collected?

CAIRS Reports are submitted electronically using CAIRS Direct Data Entry or CAIRS Bulk Upload Processing.

How are CAIRS data used?

The information contained in CAIRS provides a centralized collection of DOE accident data for users to perform various analyses, including developing trends and identifying potential hazards. The results of these analyses can be used to evaluate safety and health performance, to analyze causes of inadequate performance, to define and prioritize means for improvement of safety and health performance, and to determine needs for modification of DOE safety and health requirements in order to reduce the probability of future accidents.

What are the reporting thresholds for CAIRS injury/illness, vehicle accident, and property damage cases?

The current reporting criteria for CAIRS injury/illness cases are contained in DOE Manual 231.1-1A, and include similar recording and reporting requirements as those required by 29 CFR 1904. Although property and vehicle damage reports are not currently required, the reporting threshold for property damage cases was originally set at $1,000 and remained that way until January 1, 1996, when it was raised to $5,000. The vehicle accident reporting threshold was $250 from 1975 through 1985, $500 from 1986 through 1995, and was raised to $1,000 effective January 1, 1996.

What functions are available through CAIRS?

CAIRS functions are divided into two areas: CAIRS Database Modules and CAIRS Input Modules.

The CAIRS Database Modules consist of four basic modules (Standard Reports, Logs, Basic Reports, and Search and Distribution) that provide access to different types of information. The difference in the modules is seen in the ease of use and the flexibility in formatting reports and customizing searches.

CAIRS Standard Reports

The CAIRS Standard Reports module provides easy access to the static, preformatted reports. The standard report options are discussed in detail in the online helps and the reference manual.

CAIRS Logs

The CAIRS Logs module allows you to easily prepare simple listings of accidents for your own or other organizations. The report format for CAIRS logs is fixed. However, the user can be selective in choosing which organizations to include and the time frame of the report. The Logs options are discussed in detail in the online help and the reference manual.

CAIRS Basic Reports

The CAIRS Basic Reports option allows you to create more complex reports of accident experience and baseline information. Using CAIRS basics reports, a user has some flexibility in report format and the level of detail. The basic report options are discussed in detail in the online help and the reference manual.

CAIRS Search and Distribution

The CAIRS Search and Distribution option provides the capability of performing detailed searches of the CAIRS data and displaying the results in user-defined reports. Using CAIRS Search and Distribution, users have maximum flexibility in customizing reports. The Search and Distribution options are discussed in detail in the online help and the reference manual.

The CAIRS Data Input Modules provide access to the Input Center. Access to the Input Center is limited to individuals with data entry, approval, and management functions. The modules available through the CAIRS Input Center allow authorized users to add, revise, and delete cases using either CAIRS Direct Data Entry or CAIRS Bulk Upload Processing. CAIRS Input Modules also allow users to submit workhours and view reports prior to submission.