Policy statement and responsibilities

In line with the Buckinghamshire Council (BC) Health and Safety Policy Headteachers, Corporate Directors, Service Directors, Managers and Supervisors are responsible for:

• ensuring incidents are reported; investigated as necessary, follow up actions taken and preventative measures implemented.
• ensuring the School/Directorate/Service has an adequate number of key staff trained across Service Areas to record incident details on the AssessNet system.
• ensuring that all staff know when and how to report an accident/incident/near miss for their School/Directorate/Service/Establishment/Team.
• nominating 2-3 lead reporters within each Directorate and who will collate incident data as required by Corporate Directors and Service Directors. This data may typically be requested on a monthly, quarterly or annual basis. Schools may choose one person to collate this data for the Governing Body.
• ensuring they are made aware of any major incidents or unsafe working practices by Managers along with remedial actions undertaken by Managers or Supervisors.

All BC employees and employees in maintained schools are responsible for:

• reporting any health and safety incidents or issues to their Headteacher, Manager or Supervisor. Any shortcoming they consider to be in the interest of health, safety and welfare arrangements are also to be escalated.

BC Health and Safety Advisers will:

• receive notifications of RIDDOR incident reports and investigate as appropriate if required.
• compile and analyse incident data and present to Corporate Health and Safety and Workforce Matters meetings.
• provide training, guidance and instruction to users of the incident reporting system.

Incidents to be recorded include the following:  

1.1  Definitions:

For the purpose of the incident reporting system AssessNet an incident will encompass everything that happened during an event.  An incident can therefore contain any combination of injuries, occupational diseases / illness and dangerous occurrences.

Accident – is an undesired, unplanned incident that resulted in injury, damage or loss to persons or property.   

Near miss – is an undesired, unplanned incident that did not result in injury, damage or loss to persons or property but had the potential to do so. Examples such as; unsafe working practices, a ceiling tile falling and narrowly misses hitting someone.

Near misses must be reported on AssessNet.

Workplace Violence

Any incident in which a person is abused, threatened or assaulted in circumstances relating to their work is an act of workplace violence. This includes physical and non-physical acts such as verbal abuse or physiological trauma.

Cases where someone is subjected to verbal abuse or where threats are made can be recorded on the AssessNet system under “Violence was involved, but no injury”. If there was an injury this can be recorded under injuries and Violence can be selected as the apparent cause.

1.2   What must be recorded on AssessNet?

All work related incidents must be reported via AssessNet.

This includes:

• Incidents arising out of, or in connection with, work activities;
• Work related incidents that occur away from any BC or school premises such as site visits or educational visits;
• Road traffic accidents that occur whilst on work business (not including a normal commute to work).

Incidents involving Non-employees (members of the public such as; visitors, contractors, clients and pupils,) should also be reported if they:

• occur on BC or school premises or as a result of a BC activity.
• relate to the medical condition of the non-employee which has been caused by the work activity, for example person with known allergies being exposed to nuts, or someone with epilepsy being exposed to strobe lighting.

Note: If first aid is provided, details should be recorded in the First Aid log.

1.3   What does not need to be recorded on AssessNet?

• Minor scrapes, bumps, cuts and bruises which are not as a result of an incident do not need to be recorded on AssessNet;
• Where first aid treatment is provided for minor bumps and scrapes, the first aider will record details in the First Aid log.
• Road traffic accidents while commuting to and from work;
• An event related to a medical condition of an employee unless caused by the work activity, for example person with known allergies being exposed to latex, persons with epilepsy being exposed to strobe lighting.