Contents
How do you report safety concerns?
Report concerns to your supervisor – The first step you can take is to report to your supervisor. Let them know what you are worried about, and why. Your supervisor should be able to show you the risk assessment, perhaps even involve you in improving it.
- Or, if they feel that the work is safe, they should be able to explain the controls in place and how they are adequate to control the risks.
- If you are still worried or feel that your supervisor hasn’t taken your concerns seriously, report to your health and safety manager, or directly to your employer.
Employers also have health and safety responsibilities, They must make sure that your work can be carried out safely. By reporting your concerns, you are helping your employer comply with the law. (1)It shall be the duty of every employer to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all his employees.
How do you report hazards and risks in the workplace?
Hazard Reporting Process – You should submit the hazard report to the appropriate person or department within the organisation. Depending on the size and structure of an organisation, this may be a manager, supervisor, health and safety representative (HSR), Workplace Health and Safety Officer (WHSO), or health and safety committee.
What should you report to HSE?
In law, you must report certain workplace injuries, near-misses and cases of work-related disease to HSE. This duty is under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations, known as RIDDOR. Our RIDDOR pages explain what must be reported and how to make a report,
What is the correct action to take for all threats and hazards?
Identify what could cause injury or illness in your business (hazards) decide how likely it is that someone could be harmed and how seriously (the risk) take action to eliminate the hazard, or if this isn’t possible, control the risk.
What are the steps of incident report?
The 6 steps of incident reporting – – Capture all fundamental information You need to answer the following questions: What type of injury? Was it nonfatal or fatal? How was the environment? Looking at the location and when did the incident took place? Were there any property damages? What was the task being handled when the incident happened? – Document any injuries and damages Describe in detail the outcomes of the incidence.
Any injuries or damages caused? It’s also recommended you provide some photos if necessary. – Identify all the affected individuals. Record the names of the personnel involved and their work titles, shift schedules, and any pertinent information. – Identify the witnesses and note their statements. Write down the names of those who were there at the time of the occurrence and their statements.
It will be useful in understanding the pattern of events that led to the occurrence and give a sense for whetherthe impacted employees conduct was a cause of the damage or injury. The remarks of witnesses might be taken down directly or paraphrased. Ensure to have the witnesses sign off on their testimonies to ensure that the information recorded is accurate.
- Take action This refers to the steps that should be followed after an occurrence.
- It involves corrective measures that will prevent the incident from happening again.
- The incident report’s corrective measures section might also include the steps you’ll need to finish the report.
- Close your report After completing the preceding phases, you may gather management’s feedback on the incident.
Thus, as the reporter and somebody from higher management, you should sign off on the accountability measures. This will confirm that the information in the incident report is accurate and unquestionable. Incident reports must be kept in good order since they are crucial documents for any organization.
Why do we report hazards and incidents?
Why is it important to report hazards in the workplace? – Why are hazard reports important? Reporting on all workplace safety hazards can help organisations identify potential causes of incidents and mitigate them before an incident can occur. Hazard reports are a form of risk prevention.
For example, an organisation’s policy might state that if an employee identifies a hazard during day-to-day activity, they should report the hazard to the appropriate manager immediately. Then, if the hazard can be remedied immediately, the manager should consult with the appropriate health and safety representative to eliminate the hazard promptly.
Unfortunately, sometimes hazards can be left unidentified, mistakes happen and unexpected accidents occur. In addition to hazards, organisations must also report on near misses, incidents, and injuries. According to Safe Work Australia, the benefits of properly assessing and managing risks and hazards in the workplace include:
- preventing and reducing the quantity and severity of workplace injuries, illnesses, and associated costs,
- promoting and improving employee health, wellbeing, and capacity to work, and
- encouraging innovation and improving the quality and productivity of work ( 1 ).
SHEQSY’s lone worker platform enables employees to share reports with managers seamlessly and in real-time. Click here to learn more about SHEQSY’s safety features.
Can HR tell your boss what you say?
If I talk to HR, don’t they have to keep what I say confidential? – No! HR employees aren’t doctors or priests, and you shouldn’t assume confidentiality when you’re talking to them. If they hear something that they judge needs to be shared, they’re professionally obligated to do that. In fact, with reports of harassment or discrimination, they’re legally obligated to act.
When should I get HR involved?
2) Changes to personal circumstances: – If you need to request to take time off at short notice, reduce your hours, work flexibly, or have queries regarding maternity or paternity leave, then HR will be your first port of call. They’ll liaise with your boss and try to make your schedule work for everyone.
Why is it important to report on safety issues?
Reporting and investigation of work related incidents Tinus Boshoff Reporting an incident is an important part of an effective occupational health and safety program. It helps identify work related health and safety hazards, risks and dangers. The purpose is to identify the causes of incidents. Appropriate controls can then be put in place to prevent further occurrences of such events.
In other words an incident investigation is normally performed to find out what happened, why it happened, and to prevent it from happening again. The same innovative approach is demonstrated through the stipulations of the Occupational Health and Safety Act. According to the Act, the employer or user of machinery should formally investigate all section 24 incidents as well as any other incident where more medical treatment than the normal first aid is required.
Section 24 incidents that should be reported and investigated include the following types of incidents:
When a person dies When a person becomes unconscious Suffers the lost of a limb or part of a limb Is injured or becomes ill, or is likely to die or suffer permanent physical defect Unable to work for 14 days or longer because of a work related incident When a “major incident” occurs
(Based on Legislation in section 24(a) and (b), of the Occupational Health and Safety Act) Section 1 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act defines it as “an occurrence of catastrophic proportions, resulting from the use of plant or machinery, or from activities at a work place.” The following occurrences must also be reported to the Provincial Director. When lives were endangered by:
Dangerous spilled substances Uncontrolled release of a substance under pressure Flying, falling, uncontrolled moving object Machinery that ran out of control
(Based on Legislation in section 24(c), of the Occupational Health and Safety Act) Procedure for reporting: The above mentioned incidents; Section 24(a); (b) and (c) occurrences; should be reported immediately to the Provincial Director. It should be done by telephone, fax, or similar means of communication.
They should also be reported to the Provincial Director within 7 days using the WCL 1 or WCL 2 forms. If the injured person dies after notice the employer or user shall notify the Provincial Director of the death by fax or similar means of communication. (Based on Legislation in GAR 8, of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.) The prescibed recording and investigation of incients: The employer or user should keep record of all section 24 incidents and any other incident where medical treatment or first aid is involved.
This must be done in the form of the prescribed “Annexure 1” form. (Example attached to this document) Take note that records need to be kept for a period of at least three years. (Based on Legislation in GAR 9, of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.) The incident site may not be disturbed without the consent of an inspector in the case where a person:
Dies Loss of limb or part of limb Likely either to die
You may however:
Remove injured or dead Rescue persons from danger
This shall not apply to:
Traffic accident on a public road Incident at a private household Accidents according to the Aviation Act
The investigation should be performed by one the following persons:
The employer or user of machinery A person appointed by the employer to investigate the incident The health and safety representative of the work area A member of the health and safety committee
The investigation should officially start within a period of 7 days and finalised as soon as is reasonably practicable, or within the contracted period in the case of contracted workers. An employer must ensure that the incident (record) be examined by the health and safety committee.
(Based on Legislation in GAR 9, of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.) Although we take great care to ensure that the information on our website is accurate and up to date, readers are advised to always consult with a Labour Law Practitioner before acting on the information. The information on this website does not constitute legal advice.
Kindly take notice of our disclaimer policy published at the bottom of the home page of this website. : Reporting and investigation of work related incidents
How do you approach your boss with concerns?
2. Your Boss Is Impeding Your Progress – Whether he’s a micromanager, can’t make a decision, or has a tendency to change his mind halfway through a project, your boss’s mismanagement is a problem for you. This situation obviously needs to be handled with kid gloves; accusations and demands aren’t productive, but neither is simply wishing for his management style to change.
- Set up a meeting, practice addressing the topic in a composed manner, and then go into the appointment with confidence, armed with evidence.
- Begin the conversation graciously and acknowledge your desire to do good work.
- Then, in a respectful way, be honest about the problem and how it’s affecting your performance.
It might also be appropriate to ask if there’s something that you’re missing. For example, with a micromanager, you might ask if there’s a particular concern driving the frequent check-ins. Here’s how it might go: Mike, thanks for making time to sit down with me.
- You know how important the product launch is, and therefore, how important it is to me.
- I’m really struggling to move forward, though, and part of the problem is,
- I’d really like us to find a way for me to be as productive as possible.
- I have a couple of ideas and would love to hear your thoughts too.
Could we talk about striking a balance that will keep you, but be a bit easier for me to manage?
