Procedure for Departmental Responses to Incidents

The School of Chemistry Safety Committee have approved the following protocol for the named School operation or procedure. This task must be carried out in line with this protocol. If you believe that this protocol is unsuitable for the circumstances in your laboratory or area of work discuss this procedure with your supervisor or line manager and the appropriate Safety Advisor. Any modified operating procedures must be documented, approved and signed by your supervisor or line manager before they are undertaken.

Procedure for Departmental Responses to Incidents

Immediate Action: Rescue and Secure

• Summon appropriate help, take immediate steps for safety of staff and then secure environment.
• Alert Departmental Safety Advisor + Union Rep + Section Rep: for “serious incidents”, immediately inform Head of Department or Chair of Safety Committee and Faculty Health and Safety Manager (Safety Services).
• Ensure that campus unions (AMICUS, UCU, UNISON UNITE) are informed that an incident has occurred, and that the incident is reported through the Sentinel system.
• Inform Laboratory Manager to contact Insurance Section, Estates as necessary.

Incident Investigation

Within 1 working day of incident

• Departmental Safety Advisor to investigate and produce an initial report containing factual information about incident and witness reports. Will involve appropriate Union Representative and Section Representative.
• This report may identify urgent action, but generally will not contain action points at this stage.
• Report to be forwarded to Chair of Safety Committee and/or Head of Department

It is recognised that major incidents may require longer to complete investigation and external bodies may become involved, in which case following timescale will need to be modified, but a preliminary report should nevertheless be provided as the earliest possible opportunity.

Discussion of Incident report

Within 1 working day of incident report.

• Small group convened by Chair of Safety Committee/Head of Department depending on level of incident, to consider incident, informed by Incident Report. May call for additional evidence.
• Composition will vary: will include Departmental Safety Advisor + Union Rep + Section Rep + other appropriate people (e.g. Laboratory Manager, Laser/Radiation Officer etc.) chosen by Chair of Safety Committee and/or Head of Department.
• Will produce Response Plan including set of recommended action points.
• Urgent actions points to be considered by Head of Department.
• Remedial action to allow work to be resumed safely as quickly as possible will be identified and initiated.
• Other action points to be considered at next meeting of Departmental Safety Committee.

Implementation of Reports

• Urgent matters dealt with “immediately”
• Other points, as agreed by Departmental Management Committee on recommendation from Departmental Safety Committee.
• Feedback to Departmental Safety Committee.
• Dissemination of Feedback to all staff.

NB in this document “staff” refers to all staff, students and visitors in the Department.

Approved by the Safety Committee: 05.VII.2013