What I Need to Know about Incident Reporting

What are the benefits of online reporting?

Prevent a colleague being injured by proactively reporting a hazard or near miss incident! Our UniSA community is our biggest asset therefore, keeping our people safe is paramount. Prompt reporting of hazards and near miss incidents can prevent another person's injury.

There are many benefits in promptly reporting incidents which are explained in the Incident and Hazard Reporting and Investigation procedure. The Safety and Wellbeing team are available to answer any queries you may have.

Who is responsible to report?

Incident

The person involved, or if they are unable to do so, a person on their behalf shall report an incident to their supervisor/manager as soon as possible and submit a report within 48 hours of its occurrence using the online Hazard/Incident Reporting & Investigation System. To notify the University of an actual incident of sexual harassment or sexual assault, please use the UniSA online SASH Reporting tool. An employee or other authorised person shall log details of an incident on behalf of a student, external contractor or other person (i.e. member of the public, visitor, volunteer, work experience person etc.) using the online system.

An employee or other authorised person shall log details of an incident on behalf of a student, external contractor or other person (i.e. member of the public, visitor, volunteer, work experience person etc.) using the online system.

Hazard

Safety is everyone's responsibility! If you identify a hazard (including potential risks of sexual harassment), you are encouraged to report it immediately to your supervisor/manager via the University's Hazard Reporting System. All relevant hazards should be communicated within the workgroup to ensure the hazard does not reoccur.

When should I report?

If you identify a hazard and you cannot fix it safely or control it quickly, you must report it to your supervisor/manager and complete the online hazard report. If an incident occurs you must report it to your supervisor/manager and complete the relevant online report (refer to the information below - 'Which report form do I complete?') within 48 hours of the occurrence.

If you experience persistent, reoccurring pain or discomfort, early reporting can prevent the problem from developing and becoming more serious (e.g. performing repetitive tasks, computer use, manual handling tasks or work related anxiety).

Which report form do I complete?

There are two options for reporting - Incident/Near Miss and Hazard. Options for incident types are available for selection when reporting a new incident/near miss. 

Who is responsible for investigating an incident or a hazard?

The immediate supervisor or the person responsible for the work area/task or process where an incident occurred or hazard identified is responsible for investigating.

Notification to commence an investigation

The immediate supervisor or the person responsible for the work area/task or process (nominated by the reporter) will receive an auto-generated email notification from unisafe@sai360.com as soon as a hazard or incident/near miss is submitted.

This notification informs them that an incident has occurred or hazard identified and an investigation must commence as soon as possible. A direct link to the incident report is provided in the email notification. To notify the University of an actual incident of sexual harassment or sexual assault, please use the UniSA online SASH Reporting tool.

Who should be involved in the investigation?

The investigation shall be conducted by the supervisor (or appropriate delegate), in consultation with the person involved, the health and safety representative (where applicable) and any other relevant personnel or subject matter experts (e.g. Work Health and Safety Consultants) where necessary.

Factual information should be gathered on the circumstances that led to an incident occurring and contributing factors identified in order to determine root cause.

Recording Investigation Outcomes 

Investigation findings and corrective action identified and implemented must be recorded under Detail Submission and Actions by the nominated investigator before Sign Off.

Exceptions

Where selection of the immediate supervisor as the investigator is undesirable another selection can be made by choosing an appropriate alternative within the report. 

Note: If you have been incorrectly selected as the responsible person to investigate a hazard or incident, or you are unavailable at the time i.e. on leave or overseas, the system will automatically default to your supervisor and they will receive an email notification. 

How do I use the reporting system?

The User Guides provide step-by-step instructions on how to report and investigate incidents, near misses and hazards