Frequently Asked Questions
Since December 2022 there has been a change to the login procedure for AssessNET. AssessNET/Riskex has issued guidance and information: 'New AssessNET login information.'
Always ensure that the emergency services are called first. A detailed written report will always be required by the Safety Office.
In the event of a death, major injury or dangerous occurrence let the Safety Office know as soon as possible by telephone (Cornelia Gewert, the Accident/Incident Manager on 07395 308 157), email (Accidents-Incidents@admin.cam.ac.uk) or in person.
Out of hours, in the event of a death, major injury or dangerous occurrence and other emergencies contact the University Security Control Centre, staffed 24/7 on 01223 (3)31818.
Report them as soon as possible (see Question above). A detailed written report should follow on as soon as possible.
Reporting can be completed by the first aider or the injured/involved person (IP) or anyone involved with or knowing anything about the incident within the University. The report is completed by the Departmental Safety Officer (DSO) or other formally designated person who is registered on the main online reporting system. The Safety Office will check to ensure the incident record is complete and if this is the case, then the incident record can be locked (= 'signed off').
Give as much information as possible. For example, if a vet suffers an animal bite - let us know what sort of animal, exactly where s/he was bitten, the likelihood of infection/allergic response and what follow-up has occurred, eg, visit to GP, preventative medication, Occupational Health referral.
Another example might be someone tripping on the stairs (a very common accident). Give as much detail as possible, eg, what shoes were worn, was the person carrying anything, were the stairs wet or slippery for any reason, what part of the body was affected, was the stairwell lit adequately? Make sure you include what action has been taken to prevent a recurrence on the report.
The online reporting forms have been confirmed to meet with relevant Government accessibility/usability standards. The identification of the sex of the IP, for example, is a current requirement of Government law.
Only the Safety Office can ‘sign off’ incidents after having reviewed the completed incident record. If Safety Office staff find information is missing, they will contact the DSO with further questions and will not sign off the incident until it is complete. The DSO will assign themselves as the record owner following the completion of all required sections of the incident record. If there are any changes in personnel in your department regarding this role, you must inform the Safety Office without delay (safety@admin.cam.ac.uk).
If you are a registered user, by logging into AssessNET, you will be able to access all the records reported to the Safety Office through your department.
Report any 'near-miss' incident just like you would an accident resulting in injury. These are important as they might indicate a serious accident just waiting to happen.
Certain accidents and dangerous occurrences have to be reported by the Safety Office to the HSE by Law (under RIDDOR). From these statistics, we can deduce all kinds of information as regards the type and frequency of accidents in the University. Data provided by accident and incident records also helps departments when reviewing risk assessments by showing what can happen, where, to whom and how often.
The Safety Office keeps these records so that annual accident statistics can be drawn from the data and reported where necessary. Each department must monitor the nature and number of accidents that occur in their department so remedial action can be taken and recurrences prevented.
Not necessarily. Contact the Safety Office (Accidents-Incidents@admin.cam.ac.uk) and University Insurance Office for advice before providing any written information.
This is not necessary as the Accident/Incident Team of the Safety Office team will have access to the online system and will be able to view all incident reports.
The forms are no longer to be used and have been removed from the Safety Office Intranet. Please use the online system to report accidents/incidents from now on. Encourage others in your department to report via the online portal and you will receive an alert to complete the incident record.
- As a registered user (eg DSO), activate your login when you use the system for the first time. The Accident/Incident Team will arrange for log-in details to be sent to you by email. Activate your login and follow the online manual or screen tours, or attend a training course if one is available.
- If you are not a registered user (eg DSO) report incidents via the Portal.
- To log in as a Portal user, please go to Accident/Incident Reporting System page.
Contact the Accidents/Incidents Team (accidents-incidents@admin.cam.ac.uk) and we will respond as soon as we can.
Please use one of the following forms to complete the incident details:
Once the relevant form has been completed, the reporter of the incident should pass the completed form to their line manager or to the relevant DSO for inputting the information online.
If you need any help or further information regarding any matter related to accidents or the reporting of accidents/incidents, please contact the Accident/Incident Team by email: accidents-incldents@admin.cam.ac.uk.
In the event of a death, major injury or dangerous occurrence let the Safety Office know as soon as possible by telephone (Cornelia Gewert, the Accident/Incident Manager on 07395 308 157), email (Accidents-Incidents@admin.cam.ac.uk) or in person.
From within the University Remote Access, please go to: Accidents and Incidents webpage of the Safety Office.
Here you will find guidance and information on the University’s online incident reporting system. Unless we have registered you as a DSO onto the system, you will be a portal user and please click on this link for the Portal Users Step-by-Step Guide for using AssessNet.
When you get to this page, click on the option ‘Other’:
As shown below, there is a drop down list from which the category ‘COVID-19 Concerns around infection and control measures' can be selected. The next screenshot shows the defined incident creation where information can be added.