Incident Management University Health and Safety Policy Author: Health & Safety Services 1
Incident Management Procedure to support University Health and Safety Policy CONTENT Section Page 1 Introduction 3 2 Legal Framework 3 3 Lines of Responsibility 3 4 Procedure 5 5 Further Support and Advice 5 6 Procedure Version and History 5 Author: Health & Safety Services 2
1. INTRODUCTION This procedure describes Heriot-Watt University's processes relating to incident reporting, recording and investigation, and sets the standards needed to satisfy current health and safety legislation and our operational needs. The University's health and safety management framework encompasses an electronic system; Shield HSMS, which manages our incident related processes. All accidents with or without injury, near misses or dangerous occurrences, hazards and security related incidents are managed within Shield HSMS. Any member of staff can make an initial report of an accident, or report a potential hazard via the hazard icon located on the staff desktop or within Health & Safety Services SharePoint site. All incidents occurring on any of the University's Campuses must be reported through Shield HSMS. 2. LEGAL FRAMEWORK The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) These regulations impose statutory obligations upon the University to record and or report certain categories of accidents with injury, dangerous occurrences and occupational diseases. To ensure consistency and accuracy of reporting, all statutory reporting under RIDDOR may only be completed by Health & Safety Services. The Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations 1979 These regulations mean that, as an employer, we have to record and investigate accidents. All personal and sensitive personal information is treated according to the terms of the Data Protection Act 1998 and will not be disclosed by Health & Safety Services to third parties, unless required for legal reasons. International Reporting Requirements There are specific legal requirements covering reporting of accidents with injury and occupational diseases at our Dubai Campus under Dubai Emirate Law or at our Malaysia Campus under Malaysian Law. To ensure compliance with local requirements, all statutory reporting in Dubai and Malaysia may only be completed by Health & Safety Services. 3. LINES OF RESPONSIBILITY Health & Safety Services has overall responsibility for the development and implementation of this procedure, and review in consultation with the University Health and Safety Committee. Health & Safety Services will lead on all investigations into accidents, dangerous occurrences and occupational diseases. They may allocate investigations into minor accidents to school safety officers where appropriate. Health & Safety Services are also responsible for: management of Shield HSMS liaising with and reporting to the Health and Safety Executive on any RIDDOR related matters liaising with any other enforcing authorities or authorised organisations as appropriate generating management reports related to the University s incident statistics managing actions relating to hazard notifications where practicable, notify Trades Union Safety Representatives of accidents involving any of their membership where possible, involving Trades Union Safety Representatives with the accident Author: Health & Safety Services 3
investigation process School or Directorate Safety Officers are responsible for: immediately reporting accidents involving serious injury or severe damage to University property to Health & Safety Services by telephone 0131 451 3900 or healthandsafety@hw.ac.uk ensuring that any accidents with or without injury, near misses or dangerous occurrences and occupational diseases that they become aware of are entered into Shield HSMS providing support to Health & Safety Services or any other persons appointed by them to investigate accidents investigating accidents within their areas of responsibility, when requested managing actions allocated to them from within Shield HSMS where appropriate, ensuring that suitable emergency/temporary actions are taken to make the site or activity safe Technical Services Managers are responsible for: immediately reporting accidents involving serious injury or severe damage to University property to Health & Safety Services by telephone 0131 451 3900 or healthandsafety@hw.ac.uk ensuring that any accidents with or without injury, near misses or dangerous occurrences and occupational diseases that they become aware of are entered into Shield HSMS providing support to Health & Safety Services or any other persons appointed by them to investigate accidents managing actions allocated to them from within Shield HSMS where appropriate, ensuring that suitable emergency/temporary actions are taken to make the site or activity safe Security Patrol Officers are responsible for: ensuring that all security related incidents are recorded on Shield HSMS recording any hazard observed or reported to them whilst on duty completing an accident report within Shield HSMS managing actions allocated to them from within the Shield HSMS Note only Security Patrol Officers have access to the security incident reporting facility. All members of staff are responsible for: reporting any accident in which they are involved (or observe directly) or any work related ill health issues to their Line Manager completing an accident report via the hazard icon on the staff desktop or within Health & Safety Services SharePoint site reporting hazards encountered at work via the relevant section within the SharePoint link Students are required to: related ill health issues to their course Tutor and School Safety Officer reporting any hazard encountered to their course Tutor and School Safety Officer Contractors are required to: related ill health issues to their nominated contract manager reporting any hazard encountered to their nominated contract manager All members of staff or students working off Campus on University business are required to: report any accident in which they are involved (or observe directly) or any work related ill Author: Health & Safety Services 4
health issues to their Line Manager and Health & Safety Services by email healthandsafetyservices@hw.ac.uk or telephone 0131 451 3900 Visitors, Delegates and relevant others should: related ill health issues to Health & Safety Services by email healthandsafetyservices@hw.ac.uk or telephone 0131 451 3900 4. PROCEDURES The University has a bespoke electronic health & safety management system; Shield HSMS. Shield HSMS enables the University to have effective and central control over the management of health & safety processes across all of the University s sites and activities. Shield HSMS encompasses all accident reporting, security incident reporting and hazard notifications. The system incorporates a powerful task management tool to initiate actions to enhance safety processes and has the capacity to generate bespoke management information reports. Reporting of accidents and hazards can be completed by any member of staff logged into the University's IT system using the hazard icon on the staff desktop or within Health & Safety Services SharePoint site. Health & Safety Services will be notified automatically on submission of an accident or hazard via Shield HSMS, and depending on the nature and severity of the accident or hazard will either investigate immediately or delegate responsibility as an action for the School or Directorate Safety Officer. If the reporting person does not have computer access, notification must be made to Health & Safety Services by telephone 0131 451 3900 or by email healthandsafety@hw.ac.uk In the event of an accident involving serious injury or severe damage to University property Health & Safety Services should be notified immediately by telephone 0131 451 3900 or by email healthandsafety@hw.ac.uk 5. FURTHER SUPPORT AND ADVICE Health & Safety Services on 0131 451 3900 healthandsafety@hw.ac.uk 6. POLICY VERSION AND HISTORY Version No Date of Approving Brief Description of Amendment Approval Authority 1 05.06.2013 Secretary's Board 1 st version of document in this format/content, replaces HSMP11 Incident Management and HSMP09 Hazard Reporting 2 04.08.2014 Health & Safety Services Annual Review, removal of Institute wording and change in job titles 3 28.06.2015 Health & Safety Services Change in RIDDOR to 2013 and replace wording, Safeguard with Shield HSMS Author: Health & Safety Services 5