Investigation
Stage 1: Receive incident details

Where the ICC is not used, ensure the incident is dealt with by the right enforcing authority by:

• checking, if necessary, the relevant enforcing authority guidance
• passing the incident to an appropriate officer in the correct part of HSE, or
• passing it to another relevant enforcing authority, as necessary

Where the ICC is used:

• check the ICC daily reports page each day and accept correctly allocated incidents, or reallocate as appropriate using the relevant enforcing authority guidance
• redirect to the ICC RIDDOR notifications received by post or fax which are normally handled by the ICC but which have been sent erroneously direct to HSE
• redirect any telephone notifications by transferring the caller to the ICC

Performance standard

Accept, reject or redirect incidents from the daily reports page:

• within 1 day of the incident appearing on the ICC website

Assess the incident and if it is: 

• of special interest
• a potential major incident
• a confirmed RIDDOR reportable fatality

Then:

• immediately bring the incident to the attention of the appropriate inspector
• respond promptly to an 'alert fax' and confirmation call from the ICC with respect to a fatality, where appropriate
• arrange for as much information about the incident as is immediately available to be sent to HSE Secretariat (and afterwards notify the appropriate D/D secretariat as necessary)
• update the information as necessary to ensure HSE continues to be briefed effectively and is able to brief others

Performance standard

Assess the incident and notify the details to HSE secretariat within:

• one hour of being notified of an incident of special interest
• one hour of being notified of a potential major incident
• one day of being notified of a confirmed RIDDOR reportable fatal

Immediately upon receipt of a report of an incident of special interest or a potential major incident:

• enter the details in an incident contact log
• notify a member of HSE Executive
• alert Press Office
• inform other internal and external stakeholders as appropriate
• brief the HSE Duty Officer if the incident continues after office hours

If it is potentially a major incident: 

• go to step 1.3 Major Incident Response and Investigation procedures

If so:

• consider and implement the required immediate response
• identify any interface or overlap with other enforcing authorities or emergency services

If the incident is a fatal, in England and Wales:

• inform the Coroner whether HSE is involved in investigating the incident, and if so
• remind the Coroner that HSE should be informed when the inquest is to be held

If a decision whether to investigate the incident is now required

• forward the incident details, together with any relevant additional information received to the appropriate person who will make a decision against the selection criteria

Where the ICC is used:

• ensure the SIC code is correct using the SIC targeting guidance
• arrange to send to the corporate medical unit senior medical inspector covering the division in which the premises are located, a copy of any incident in which the 'kind' is either: drowned or asphyxiated; or exposed to, or in contact with, a harmful substance

In FOD:

• refer gas incidents to the gas officer
• refer all other incidents to the appropriate Band 2
• inform the HSAO if the incident contact is new to HSE

In OSD, ensure:

• for all RIDDOR notifications, that the supplementary data sheet is correctly coded and signed off in accordance with Notification procedure NP01
• for all 'other' notifications, that notifications procedure NP04 is followed

Performance standard

Where the ICC is used, pass all relevant incidents to the Band 2:

• within 3 working days of their appearing on the ICC website

In FOD, pass incidents to the gas officer:

• within 5 working days of their appearing on the ICC website