• Section 1 - Background
• Section 2 - Definitions
• Section 3 - Roles and Responsibilities
• Part A - Staff Members, Students, Volunteers, Visitors and Contractors
• Nominated Supervisors and Other Relevant Staff
• Determining Who Will Manage Reports of Incidents and Hazards
• Actions to be Taken on Reports of Incidents and Hazards
• First Aid Officers
• WHS Committees and Health and Safety Representatives
• Officers of the University (Members of the Senior Executive, the Executive, Senior Management and Management)
• People and Capability
• Section 4 - Managing the Initial Response to Serious Incidents
• Section 5 - Records of Incidents and Investigations
• Section 6 - Revisions made to this Procedure
• Section 7 - Further Assistance
• Section 8 - Associated Information

Section 1 - Background

(1) ACU is committed to complying with its legal obligations associated with maintaining a register of injuries, and effectively managing reported incidents and hazards which occur within on or off-campus working and learning environments.

(2) Staff members, students, visitors, volunteers, and contractors participate and contribute to the identification and management of work health and safety (WHS) risks within the working and learning environment. Reporting incidents and hazards, within Riskware, is a critical component of these WHS risk identification processes. Relevant supervisors and other officers of the University review the reports logged and develop Action Plans and associated treatments or corrective actions.

(3) These reports can be logged by staff and students on behalf of others.

Section 2 - Definitions

(4) In this Procedure, the following erms are used as defined:

Section 3 - Roles and Responsibilities

(5) Reports of incidents (including injuries, work and learning-related illnesses and 'near misses') and hazards in Riskware are investigated or assessed by nominated supervisors or other relevant University staff, who are accountable for developing and recording Riskware Action Plans and associated treatments or corrective actions to manage these risks.

Part A - Staff Members, Students, Volunteers, Visitors and Contractors

(6) All members of the ACU community are actively involved in managing risk and log reports of incidents and hazards about themselves and other people. These reports are entered into Riskware.

1. Whenever a staff member submits a report about an incident and hazard, the relevant nominated supervisor receives an automated email that provides guidance about developing a Riskware Action Plan. The plan should include the details of the treatments or corrective actions which are associated with managing the identified risks within the report.
2. Whenever a staff member logs a report on behalf of another staff member, the report should be assigned to the nominated supervisor of the impacted person.
3. Whenever staff report on behalf of a student, volunteer or visitor, the incident or hazard should be assigned to a nominated supervisor or manage who has some oversight over the activity (or space), which is detailed within the report. Whenever this is unclear, the riskware report should be assigned to 'ACU Management' in Riskware (notification is sent to People and Capability who can reassign the notification to the relevant staff member).
4. Whenever a student submits a report about incidents and hazards, or on behalf of another student, the report will be automatically assigned to 'ACU Management' unless the student is aware of who to assign the report to.
5. Contractors should engage the relevant work area, who has oversight over the work activity or area, about logging a report.

Nominated Supervisors and Other Relevant Staff

(7) Nominated supervisors and other relevant staff are responsible for ensuring the management of WHS risks, including Riskware reports.

(8) Nominated supervisors and other relevant staff are responsible for:

1. reviewing and investigating reports of incidents and hazards;
2. developing and recording Riskware Action Plans;
3. implementing risk treatments (Control Measures and / or Corrective Actions); and
4. sharing and applying learnings within their work unit to mitigate similar future risks.

Determining Who Will Manage Reports of Incidents and Hazards

(9) Where the report is submitted by a staff member, the staff member's nominated supervisor is responsible for reviewing and managing the report.

(10) Where the report is submitted by a staff member on behalf of another staff member, the report should be reassigned to the affected staff member's nominated supervisor who will review and manage the report.

(11) Relevant supervisors and staff also review and manage reports about student, visitor and contractor activities. These reviews and the development and recording of Riskware Action Plans (often detailing corrective actions) should be conducted in consultation with the impacted person/s.

Actions to be Taken on Reports of Incidents and Hazards

Review and Investigate

(12) The nominated supervisor or other relevant staff member reviews the report, investigates the incident or hazard, and records the investigation in Riskware within the Investigation tab.

(13) The nominated supervisor or other relevant staff member assesses the risk and assigns a Risk Rating, which will guide the selection of risk treatments (Control Measures and / or Corrective Actions) to reduce the risk of injury, property damage and / or environmental damage. The scope of an incident investigation is relative to the nature of the incident and the Risk Rating and would typically be broadened in the case of a high Risk Rating.

(14) Some incident investigations may need to be conducted in consultation with subject matter experts such as local facilities management staff, a staff member with relevant expertise, and/or members of the Work Health & Safety team in People and Capability.

(15) The nominated supervisor or other relevant staff member engages other staff members as needed in assessing risk and developing and implementing Action Plans. Refer to Appendix A: Incident Investigations for more guidance about incident investigations.

(16) Develop and record a Riskware Action Plan.

(17) The review or investigation should inform the treatments (Control Measures and / or Corrective Actions) that are documented within the Riskware Action Plan (Action Planning tab) by the nominated supervisor / relevant staff member.

(18) As part of this review, an assessment should be made about whether existing risk treatments have effectively managed the risk.

(19) The selection of effective Control Measures and / or Corrective Actions is made relative to the Risk Rating. The nominated supervisor or other relevant staff member also refers to the Hierarchy of Control (in the Riskware Action Planning tab) when considering options for managing risk.

(20) In cases of an incident involving illness or injury that affects a staff member's capacity to perform their role, the nominated supervisor should refer to the Recovery at Work Program and associated resources. Staff should visit Service Central for workers compensation support. Students impacted by a university-related injury or illness should contact insurance.finance@acu.edu.au.

Riskware Reference Guides

Implement risk treatments (Control Measures and / or Corrective Actions)

(21) The nominated supervisor / other relevant staff member implements the risk treatments identified in the Riskware Action Plan. A treatment should only be assigned to another staff member after consulting with that staff member and consensus is reached about actioning the treatment and timing.

Share and Apply Learnings as Appropriate

(22) The nominated supervisor or other relevant staff member identifies learnings from the investigation and the implementation of risk treatments that can be applied within the organisational unit to mitigate similar risks in future.

First Aid Officers

(23) Whenever a First Aid Officer responds to an incident that requires medical attention, the First Aid Officer will support the affected staff member or student to make a report of the incident or injury within Riskware. A First Aid Officer can make a report on behalf of a visitor, volunteer, or contractor.

(24) First Aid Officers may recommend improvements to the way in which the University manages its first aid response. These staff also populate a First Aid Treatment Record that is uploaded to Service Central.

WHS Committees and Health and Safety Representatives

(25) Each campus WHS Committee, including Health and Safety Representatives, conduct a review of incident and hazard reports and associated treatments at its quarterly meetings to assist the University to assess and manage risk. The Committee considers whether the Corrective Actions taken in response to incidents could be applied more broadly at the local campus or across the University. Health and Safety Representatives (HSRs) may be consulted by staff and supervisors about incidents, hazards, and associated treatments affecting their work group.

Officers of the University (Members of the Senior Executive, the Executive, Senior Management and Management)

(26) Officers of the University are responsible for ensuring that they are knowledgeable about hazards and risks, including those identified through reports of incidents and hazards, and for providing oversight to ensure that risks are eliminated and / or managed in their respective portfolio, organisational area, or unit.

People and Capability

(27) People and Capability:

1. provides advice to managers and staff about processes for identifying hazards and managing risk;
2. provides advice to organisational units about reviewing and investigating incidents and hazards within Riskware;
3. in the case of an incident classified as serious (injury or illness), liaises with Properties and Facilities and other organisational units upon notification of the incident to ensure that the relevant WHS State Regulator is notified. People and Capability participates in investigation meetings, which may be conducted by the WHS State Regulator, and works with organisational units to preserve the site until its reopening by the WHS State Regulator; and
4. provides procedural guidance on claims for workers' compensation and works with managers and staff to manage periods of absence, consideration of alternative duties, and facilitation of return to work.

Section 4 - Managing the Initial Response to Serious Incidents

(28) In the event of an emergency, the health and safety of any affected person is the overriding priority. First Aid Officers in attendance should remain with any affected people until emergency services support arrives. A report of an incident will be made once it is determined that everyone is safe.

(29) WHS (OHS) state regulators classify a range of incidents as immediately reportable to the regulator. These reportable incidents fall with a classification of Serious Incidents, including Dangerous Incidents or Fatalities.

(30) If a Serious Incident occurs:

1. emergency services are to be contacted by dialing 000; and
2. the ACU National Security Centre should also be contacted about the call to emergency services (call 1300 729 453 or 8888, internal phones).

(31) The ACU National Security Centre sends an alert to the Incident Response Group. The Incident Lead then manages the incident in accordance with the Critical Incident Management Policy.

(32) People and Capability is alerted, notifies the WHS State Regulator, and acts as the contact with the Regulator.

(33) First Aid support can be accessed by calling the closest First Aid Officer (see First Aid Officers to Call for Assistance) or by activating the Safezone App or calling the ACU National Security Centre on extension 8888 or 1300 729 453 at the time of reporting the Serious Incident.

(34) The site of the incident will be secured and preserved, so that the WHS State Regulator can conduct an investigation.

Section 5 - Records of Incidents and Investigations

(35) Records of all incident reports, investigations, and associated Riskware Action Plans will be maintained. More comprehensive investigation reports are completed whenever a Serious or Critical Incident occurs. These reports are also uploaded to the relevant Riskware Action Plan.

Section 6 - Revisions made to this Procedure

(36) The revision table includes revisions up until this document was migrated into the current policy platform. Any later changes will show in the Status and Details tab.

Section 7 - Further Assistance

(38) Any staff member who requires assistance in understanding this procedure should first consult their Nominated Supervisor or Manager who is responsible for applying the University's WHSMS within their work area. Should further information or advice be required, staff should visit Service Central.

Section 8 - Associated Information

(39) For related legislation, policies, procedures and guidelines and any supporting resources, please refer to the Associated Information tab.