Incident Reporting Policy

Purpose

The University of Otago is committed to providing a safe work place for staff, students and visitors.

The purpose of this Policy is to ensure all work related incidents and near miss events are reported.

The reporting of all work related incidents and near miss events enables the University of Otago to meet legislative requirements around incident reporting required under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015. Reporting events is critical for the investigation of incidents and for the development of preventive strategies to minimise future events and their severity.

Organisational scope

University of Otago campuses and all other University work areas and includes all staff, students, contractors, and visitors.

Definitions

Critical Event

An event, or series of events, that can cause death or significant injuries to staff, students, or the public; or that can suspend business, disrupt operations, create significant physical or environmental damage; or that can threaten the University's financial standing or public image.

DHSO

Departmental Health and Safety Officer.

DHSO

Departmental Health and Safety Officer.

HOD

Head of Department.

HSWA

Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 and regulations.

Incident

Any occurrence that leads to injury or illness to people, danger to health and/or damage to property or the environment. It is an inclusive term for injuries, illnesses, and events.

Near Miss

Any occurrence that might have led to injury or illness to a person, or damage to property or the environment.

Notifiable Event

Certain incidents will require notification to WorkSafe NZ. See section 23-25 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015.

PCBU

Person conducting a business or undertaking.

University

University of Otago.

Vault

The University's online Health and Safety management system/reporting tool.

WorkSafe NZ

Crown agent for ensuring and promoting the health and safety of workers and workplaces.

Work areas

Any place where it is deemed work is approved to be undertaken for the University, including at home or remotely.

Content

1. Reporting an incident

1. Before reporting an incident ensure all appropriate medical treatment has been provided.
2. The steps below outline the incident reporting process:
   1. Inform relevant Departmental Health and Safety Officer (DHSO), Health and Safety Representative or Head of Department (HOD)/Line Manager/Supervisor. If the event is deemed to meet the Critical Event criteria, then the Emergency Management Team will also be notified.
   2. Report event in Vault so an investigator is allocated, and,
   3. Inform the Health, Safety and Wellbeing office if a notifiable event may have occurred. Health, Safety and Wellbeing will contact WorkSafe if it is deemed a notifiable incident, injury, illness or fatality.

2. Investigations

1. Routine investigations:
   1. The DHSO will investigate the reported event and record in Vault.
   2. The incident causation analysis tool within Vault will be completed as a part of the investigation to identify the root cause of incidents, so that corrective actions can be implemented to prevent recurrence as soon as possible, and,
   3. Any corrective actions are identified and recorded in Vault and allocated to an individual who has the responsibility to follow up with corrective actions to ensure the investigation process is closed.
2. Formal investigations:

   Where events are high risk, a formal investigation will be conducted by a member of the Health and Safety team who has completed advanced investigation training.

3. Confidentiality

Under the Privacy Act, all reports will remain confidential to the University of Otago with only those persons tasked/responsible for reporting and investigation having access to personal information.

Related policies, procedures and forms

• Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 sections 23, 24 and 25
• Privacy Act 2020
• University of Otago Health and Safety Policy
• University of Otago Student Critical Incident Policy
• University of Otago Emergency Management Policy
• University of Otago Injury Reporting and Work Injury Management Procedures (PDF)
• Working From Home Policy
• Flexible Working Request Procedure
• Working From Home Guidelines
• The Tertiary and International Learners Code of Practice

Contact for further information

If you have any queries regarding the content of this policy or need further clarification, contact:

Director, Health, Safety and Wellbeing
Email hsa@otago.ac.nz