It is a legal requirement on a person injured at work to report their injury to their employer for recording and on employers to investigate the circumstances (Social Security Act). It is essential that the causes of accidents, incidents and near misses are identified in order that appropriate action is taken to prevent a recurrence.
All staff, students, contractors and visitors are required to report promptly any accident or incident using the online reporting system if they suffer an injury, near miss, work-related illness or dangerous occurrence while on University premises or engaged on University business off campus. If the injured/ill person cannot complete the report themselves, someone else should do this on their behalf.
First aiders must also use the online reporting system record any assistance they provide.
Faculties and Directorates must ensure that their staff, students, visitors and contractors know how to access the accident/incident reporting system.
The report will initially be routed to the Health & Safety Unit, Estates & Facilities, Fire Safety or Safeguarding, dependent on the type of incident. It will then be allocated to the appropriate person, typically a Health & Safety Manager, to undertake an investigation into causes and any remedial actions needed to the seriousness of the accident/incident.
The person identified to investigate must consult and coordinate with relevant faculty/directorate colleagues to investigate the report, take or arrange remedial actions, and make recommendations as appropriate and as far as they are able to do so. Where necessary actions should be assigned to appropriate persons. This could be within the same directorate/faculty/unit or to another.
Once the investigation is complete the report must then be allocated to the Faculty Operating Officer/Director of Professional Service/Head of Unit/Safeguarding Officer (or nominee) for comment. If further information is required the report should be re-allocated back to the investigator or another appropriate person for action.
Once content with the investigation the Faculty Operating Officer/Director of Professional Service/Head of Unit/Safe Guarding Officer (or nominee) should endorse their approval and re-allocate the report back to the Health & Safety Manager (or relevant person).
The Health and Safety Manager (or relevant person) should close the investigation and where appropriate feedback to the individual concerned.
Once an investigation has been closed, and if applicable, the Health & Safety Unit or the Estates and Facilities Safety and Compliance Manager may seek further information before distributing a copy to the University Insurance Manager where relevant.
Accident and fire statistics are compiled by the Health & Safety Unit for consideration and monitoring by the University Health & Safety Committee. The University Head of Health & Safety is responsible for reporting certain accidents to the Health and Safety Executive, as required by the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) where the accident arises "out of or in connection with work".
The Head of Health & Safety must be notified immediately by telephone (extension number 9001) of the following types of accidents/incidents/work-related disease:
- Accidents which result in a University employee or self-employed person dying, suffering a specified injury, or being away from work or unable to do their normal duties for more than seven consecutive days (not counting the day of the accident).
- Accidents which result in a person not at work (e.g. student, member of the public) suffering an injury and being taken to hospital for treatment directly from the scene of the accident.
- A University employee reporting a diagnosis of a specified work-related disease.
- One of the specified dangerous occurrences – these do not necessarily result in injury - but have the potential to do significant harm.
- A major fire
An Accident/Incident Report should also be completed in the normal way.
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