Faculty of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

Incident Reporting

Procedure for the reporting of hazards and incidents within the Faculty.

Purpose

The purpose of this document is to outline the overall procedure employed by the faculty of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics (ECM), for reporting hazards, near-misses and incidents/injuries as they occur. This procedure aims to ensure the:

Prevention of loss producing incidents through proactive reporting Prevention of the reoccurrence of similar incidents; Reporting of data in a consistent manner; Involvement of appropriate personnel; and Differentiation between the 3 reporting methods.

Scope

This procedure applies to all staff and students performing work on campus, however these reporting methods should also be used when regarding visitors and contractors. All staff and students are required to comply with the workplace procedures and to identify and report any hazards, accidents, incidents and other safety concerns. Students, Supervisors, the ECM Safety Support Team and Heads of School all play a role in this procedure, and their commitment is required for its implementation to be effective.

Definitions

Hazard – an object or situation that has the potential for injury, ill health, damage or other loss.

Near-Miss – A no-loss incident that could have resulted in an injury or illness to people, danger to health and/or damage to property or the environment.

Incident – Any unplanned event. Can be loss-producing, (including injury, ill health and property/equipment damage) or producing no-loss, in which case it would be classified as a near-miss.

ECM – Engineering, Computing and Mathematics. Head of School - works in partnership with a School Manager, and together they

are responsible for the efficient and effective functioning of the School. Supervisor - the University staff member who supervises select employees/work

participants. Agent – an individual who fills out a report form on behalf of another person.

Introduction

The Faculty of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics is implementing a 3 tier approach to reporting incidents. All staff and students are required to comply with the workplace procedures and to identify and report any hazards, accidents, incidents and other safety concerns. Each individual is responsible for taking reasonably practicable steps to ensure their own safety and personal security.

The University must exercise a “duty of care” under the WA Occupational Safety and Health Act 1984. All staff should be familiar with the University’s Occupational Safety and Health Policy and the Responsibility and Accountability Policy, in particular, the responsibilities of supervisors and individuals.

Incident ReportingThe Faculty employs a three tier incident reporting system. The report form to be submitted is dependent on the nature of the unplanned event. The University requires that all hazards, near-misses and incidents/injuries are reported, investigated and recorded.

1) Hazard Report Form

A hazard is a situation or object which presents the potential to harm a person, the environment or cause damage to property. This could involve a piece of machinery, equipment, task, item or chemical substance. We all have a responsibility to identify hazards and if you cannot safely apply reliable control measures you should seek assistance by reporting the hazard to the affected area Supervisor, the local Health and Safety Representative and/or the ECM Safety Support Team.

When completing the Hazard Report Form: The person reporting the hazard is to complete Section A, then forward the form to

the affected area Supervisor or Health and Safety representative. The Supervisor, Manager or H&S Representative is then to complete Section B

immediately, followed by the Section C within the next 24 hours. Records must be kept.

If suitable control measures cannot be implemented then the form must be forwarded to the ECM Safety Support Team.

If an unplanned event has occurred relating to an identified hazard then it should be considered as an ‘incident,’ and one of the two incident reporting methods is to be used.

2) 2 Minute Near-Miss Report Form

A Near-Miss is an unplanned event that did not result in injury, illness or damage. It can therefore be considered a ‘no-loss incident.’ Identifying and investigating near-misses

are key elements to finding and controlling risks so as to better anticipate the next probable accident and take steps to prevent it. In terms of human lives and property damage, near-misses are zero-cost learning opportunities.

A quick and easy to use near-miss reporting system has been implemented in order to encourage an increase in reports submitted. The more near-miss reports filed will give a more accurate representation of where controls need to be placed.

For all near-misses a person(s) involved in or witnessing the incident must as soon as practicable fill out a 2 Minute Near-Miss Report Form, including its corresponding traffic light colour. These can be filled out physically on the reporting pads that are located in workshops, labs and at the

admins/receptions. They can also be filled in online via the ECM Health and Safety website. The reports must be detailed and accurate.

If completing a physical form, it must be submitted either to a supervisor, or to one of the following Near-Miss Submission Locations.

Building 222 – Environmental Systems Engineeringo ECM Safety Support Team office, Room 208o Environmental Systems Engineering Building Admin, Room 111

Building 223 – Mathematicso Monadelphous Integrated Learning Centre Unit Support Office, Room 163o Mathematics 1st Floor Reception, Room 126

Building 224 – Civil and Mechanical Engineeringo Civil, Environmental and Mining Engineering Admin, Room 114o Mechanical and Chemical Engineering Admin, Room 201

Building 226 – Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineeringo Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering Admin, Room 152

Building 241 – Computer Science and Software Engineeringo Computer Science and Software Engineering Admin, Room 131

For more information on reporting a near-miss, refer to the Near-Miss Report Procedure.

3) Confidential Incident/Injury Report Form

If the chain of events of dormant hazard to active hazard to incident resulted in injury, illness or property damage then it should be considered as a ‘loss producing incident.’ In the event of such an incident the person(s) involved should seek medical attention as required, inform their supervisor as soon as practicable and apply control measures if appropriate and safe to do so. A Confidential Incident/Injury Report Form or Confidential Needlestick/Sharps Injury or Exposure to Bodily Fluid Report Form must then be completed as soon as practicable.

Completing the Confidential Incident/Injury Report Form

Part 1: Must be completed within 24 hours but if serious, the incident must be reported immediately to Safety and Health. (Call 2222 for an emergency)

Section A:Injured Person’s Details – all details must be completed.Incident Details – all questions must be answered.

Section B:Signed by Safety and Health RepresentativeSigned by Supervisor/Manager

Section C:To be completed if injury sustained.

Part 2: To be completed and forwarded to Safety and Health within 5 working days by either the affected individual or Agent.

Section A:Person involved in incident Answered relevant questions relating to Slip/Trip/Fall, Manual Tasks, etcInvestigation questions answered

Section B:Risk Control Table (preventative actions) and Timeline completedFeedback provided to person reporting incident/injurySigned by Supervisor/ManagerSigned by Head of School/School Manager – Dean informedSigned by Safety and Health Representative

For more information refer to the ECM Completing the Confidential Incident/Injury Report Form.

Incident Reporting Framework

Example.Jenny sees a loose concrete slab on the top step on a pathway. This presents the potential for an incident so is considered a hazard. Unfortunately Jenny did not report the hazard and later that day she sees the loose slab wobble as someone steps on it, leading to them falling. Luckily they were not hurt. As such no loss occurred during this incident so it is defined as a near-miss. They went their separate ways and both filled out a 2 Minute Near-Miss Report Form. However, if the person had of fallen and sprained their ankle, this would have been a loss producing incident (injury) and a Confidential Incident/Injury Report Form would be required.

If you are unsure which method of reporting to use, contact the ECM Safety Support Team at safety-ecm@uwa.edu.au.

Faculty of Engineering Computing and Mathematics

The University of Western AustraliaM000, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley WA 6009 Tel +61 8 6488 6945Fax +61 8 6488 6945Email safety-ecm@uwa.edu.auWeb http://www.ecm.uwa.edu.au/staff/safety

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