Incident, Near Miss and Positive Event Reporting

Whitireia and WelTec are committed to providing a safe environment for staff, learners, contractors, and visitors

Why report events?

It is important we all report Near Miss (hazards), Incidents (accidents) and positive events as soon as it is safe to do so. Reporting allows our Whitireia and WelTec teams to investigate and develop strategies to minimise future incidents (accidents) and to development preventative strategies to minimise future events and their severity. We are also required to meet legislative requirements around incident reporting required under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015.

Positive Event reporting is also important.  We want to know what is positive across all our campuses so we can contribute to a positive Health and Safety Culture.

What must be reported?

Near miss (Hazard): An event not causing harm, but has the potential to cause injury or ill health. Any unplanned incidents that occurred at the workplace which, although not resulting in any injury or disease, had the potential to do so.

Incident (accident): An unplanned event that resulted in injury or ill health of people, or damage or loss to property, plant, materials or the environment or a loss of business opportunity (this includes accidents that occur on campus or off-site if related to work). Categories of accidents include:

• First aid injury: items from first aid kit are required to treat the injury
• Lost time injury: an injury that is serious enough to require time off work
• Medical treatment: an injury that is serious enough that the injured person needs to go to a medical centre or hospital, but can return to work (i.e. no time off work required)
• Critical incident: Incident that has caused permanent disability, occupational illness, or fatalities.

Positive Event reporting

Is an event not causing harm but a H&S event that is working well.  Reporting these events help establish a positive health and safety culture and encourages and endorses good health and safety practices