Incident Categorisation - 'Minor', 'Significant' or 'Serious'
When Health and Safety Services have sufficient information relating to an incident that has been reported via the Assure system (or via any other means), the relevant responsible officer will categorise the incident as 'minor' not warranting any further investigation, 'significant', where a line management investigation would be deemed appropriate, and then 'serious' where a member of the Health and Safety Services team would be assigned to conduct an investigation. Note that this latter review may also take place upon further information being received following a line management investigation.
To provide departments with typical examples of what would constitute a 'minor', 'significant' or 'serious' incident, please see the attached document on the right hand side of this page. This is what is currently utilised as an explanation during health and safety committee meetings and should be referred to as guidance.
Currently there are a number of key staff within a department who receive an immediate notification as soon as an incident is reported via the Assure system. This generally includes the Head of Department, Senior Administrator (or similar) and Chair of H&S Committee (if relevant). Reports in the Assure system do not go to a line manager, so it is important that individuals do let their immediate supervisors/line managers know that they have been involved in an incident at their earliest convenience. As well as the key staff being notified of an incident within the person's reporting department, relevant Health and Safety staff are also notified at the same time. If an incident requires further information or requires intervention by a member of staff within the person's department (or other department outside of the reporting department like Estates, for example), a member of the Health and Safety team will make contact with them. Note that this should not negate anyone in the injured person's reporting department making the situation safe (capturing photos of the scene for evidence purposes/taping the area off if required) upon receipt of a notification of a serious incident, as Health and Safety Services may not be in the vicinity at the time. Under these circumstances, there will likely be a coordinated effort made by the department and HSS. For any support/assistance, contact your relevant Health and Safety Officer (see Health and Safety Contacts pageLink opens in a new window)
