Activity 3: Hazard reporting

Workers are often the first to become aware of health and safety problems because they are experienced in the work processes, tasks, equipment and chemicals. The employer needs an effective procedure for workers to report hazards and incidents so that any risk can be assessed and corrective action put into place. Everyone needs to be aware of their roles and responsibilities for hazard and incident reporting.

Uncontrolled hazards may lead to incidents, injuries and illness. You can identify trends by keeping records of hazards, incidents, injuries, and illness. This enables you to identify problems, develop solutions and take action to prevent recurrence.

The OHS&W Act and Regulations specify injury, illness and incident reporting requirements.

The tasks in this Activity are linked to Activities 6, 7 and 8 (Managing Risks to your Business). It is important to collect information about work-related injuries and diseases that are occurring so action can be taken to prevent similar events in the future.

Workers and managers should understand the hazard and incident reporting and investigation process. It should be well documented, monitored, reviewed and continuously improved. There should be emphasis on the improvement of hazard and incident reporting and investigation skills within the organization.

What do you have in place now?

Use the following checklist as a guide to check if you meet the Benchmark and to choose tasks in Activity 3:

Indicators that satisfy Benchmark 2.2

• Hazard and incident reporting and investigation policy
• Hazard and incident reporting and investigation procedure
• Hazard/incident reporting forms
• Hazard and incident investigation forms
• Records of hazards, incidents, investigations and corrective actions
• OHS committee minutes include discussions of hazard/incident reports
• Controls and remedial measures from investigations implemented
• Induction processes that include hazard and incident reporting and investigation procedures
• Results of hazard and incident investigations feed into the hazard management process
• Specific hazard and incident reporting and investigation training provided to workers, managers and supervisors

What do you have in place now?

Tick off the steps you have in place now. This may save you from having to complete all the steps:

Current procedures in place

• A Hazard Reporting Policy
• Roles and responsibilities have been assigned for all levels in the business
• A form for reporting and recording hazards
• A hazard register
• A written procedure for reporting hazards
• Incident/Accident investigation forms and procedures
• A planning process for corrective actions