1. The purpose of our procedure
Our Incident Management Procedure (procedure) sets out Adelaide University’s processes for the reporting and investigation of workplace incidents, including notifiable incidents and hazards, under the Work Health and Safety Act 2012 (SA).
Please read this procedure in conjunction with the Wellbeing and Safety Policy.
2. Who our procedure applies to
Our procedure applies to all members of our Adelaide University community.
Contractors and project managers are required to consult the [Contractor Safety Procedure] for their incident-related responsibilities.
This procedure also authorises the Executive Director, People Advisory and Wellbeing to maintain associated protocols.
3. Our incident management procedure
We take these steps to effectively manage reported incidents and maintain a safe environment for learning and work.
3.1 Responding to incidents
If an incident occurs, staff are to, where reasonably practicable:
- Maintain personal safety if there is no immediate risk to others.
- Provide or seek first aid and emergency assistance for injuries.
- If safe, isolate and secure the incident site to prevent the risk of further harm.
- Contact the [Senior Manager] or the appropriate Wellbeing and Safety team manage as soon as possible to confirm whether the incident is notifiable.
- Report the incident in [Unisafe] within 48 hours or as soon as possible.
In the event of emergency incidents such as a fire, bomb threat, or flood, refer to the [Emergency Management Procedure].
3.2 Responding to notifiable incidents
If the Wellbeing and Safety team confirm the incident is notifiable, staff are required to:
- Notify the relevant [supervisor/manager] immediately.
- If safe, isolate and secure the incident site to keep it undisturbed until a SafeWork Inspector arrives or instructs otherwise.
- Report the incident in [Unisafe] within 48 hours or at the earliest opportunity thereafter.
The responsible [supervisor/manager or delegate] must immediately:
- Notify the relevant [Executive/Senior Staff].
- Facilitate prompt injury management processes for anyone injured, ill or impacted.
- Arrange a debriefing for those impacted by the notifiable incident, if required.
The University recognises that these incidents may affect members of the university community and encourage staff, family members, and Higher Degree Research students to seek support through the University’s Employee Assistance Program should they require professional counselling.
3.3 Incident reporting process
Reporting any staff injury or illness ensures the University can take timely action in line with the Injury Management Procedure. To support this, incidents must be reported in [Unisafe] within 48 hours, or as soon as possible thereafter, noting the following:
- Enter incident details directly or getting help from a staff member with access to [Unisafe].
- Use the [Unisafe ROAM5 app] if there is no network access for remote areas and ensure to submit it later when back in range.
3.4 Incident investigation process
Our Wellbeing and Safety team review all incidents reported in [Unisafe] to determine the required level of investigation.
Local areas investigate routine incidents, while the Wellbeing and Safety team leads notifiable matters reported to SafeWork SA and the Office of the Technical Regulator, as well as confidential or other specified incidents.
A trained designated investigator is notified by email and provided with a link to the incident details, enabling them to complete an initial assessment and progress the investigation.
An incident investigation must:
- Consult with the responsible supervisor/ manager and, where possible, the injured person.
- Notify the Health and Safety Representative (HSR), if appointed, and other relevant parties.
- Record the sequence of events before, during, and after the incident, including all people involved.
- Identify and analyse the factors that contributed to the incident.
- Define actions to address these factors and prevent recurrence.
The designated Wellbeing and Safety team member may assist with the investigation, as needed.
3.5 Hazard identification and reporting
Reporting hazards reduces the risk of incidents, therefore staff are required to report any hazards they identify.
Adelaide University community members are required to:
- Fix hazards immediately if it is safe to do so.
- Isolate the area and inform their [manager/supervisor] if a risk of injury is present.
- Report unresolved hazards in [Unisafe] for further action.
- Submit a [Customer Service Request (CSR)] to Estates and Facilities for campus or infrastructure-related hazards.
Refer to the Hazard Management Procedure for further details.
3.6 Hazard investigation procedure
Reported hazards are investigated by the responsible manager (or delegate) and documented in [Unisafe] in line with the Hazard Management Procedure.
Steps for hazard investigation:
- Identify parties involved – record details of the hazard reporter, appointed HSR (if appointed), and others involved.
- Determine root causes – identify underlying causes and classify the hazard type.
- Assess risk – evaluate the likelihood and potential consequences, including harm to people, property damage, or environmental impact.
- Apply controls – implement risk controls using the hierarchy of controls. Where elimination is not possible, select measures to minimise risk as far as reasonably practicable.
- Monitor and review – track and reassess controls to ensure ongoing effectiveness and continuous improvement.
The designated Wellbeing and Safety team member provides assistance during the investigation, as needed.
3.7 Incident and hazard review and response
The Wellbeing and Safety team uses [Unisafe] to:
- Monitor all reported incidents and hazards.
- Monitor implementation of corrective actions.
- Analyse incident and hazard data to identify trends.
- Determine preventative interventions and resources.
The Wellbeing and Safety team uses defined reporting processes in consultation with the University’s Wellbeing and Safety Committee to make recommendations to the Council and VCELG.
3.8 Performance monitoring and improvement
We assess our wellbeing and safety performance against defined performance measures to meet regulatory obligations. This helps us highlight what is working well and take action where improvements are needed.
3.9 Managing wellbeing and safety records
We maintain document control systems to ensure wellbeing and safety documents are current, consistent, and properly managed through their lifecycle. Incident and hazard records are stored electronically in [Unisafe].
Refer to the [Records Management Procedure] for information repositories, document control, filing, and archiving.
4. Who holds a responsibility within this procedure
4.1 The Vice Chancellor and President is required to:
- Provide adequate human and financial resources to manage incident and hazard reporting, investigation, and action management within Adelaide University.
- Ensure effective incident management systems are in place.
- Exercise due diligence obligations as an Officer to ensure incident management systems are effective and implemented, under the Work Health and Safety (WHS) Act 2012 (SA).
4.2 The [Executive/Senior Staff] are required to:
- Ensure incidents within their area of responsibility are managed in accordance with this procedure and associated protocols.
- Consult with staff, students, and identified stakeholders to enable them to contribute to the incident management process.
4.3 The Wellbeing and Safety team are required to:
- Provide oversight of the incident management system and its effectiveness.
- Manage and monitor incidents and hazards reported via [Unisafe].
- Undertake statutory reporting for notifiable incidents.
- Triage all reported incidents to determine who is appropriate to be appointed investigator.
- Provide quarterly reports to the [Vice Chancellor's Executive Leadership Group (VCELG)] and local leaders, outlining incident trends and recommending risk reduction initiatives.
4.4 The [Managers, Principal Researchers, Supervisors] are required to:
- Manage incidents and hazards associated with relevant work tasks, as reported in accordance with this procedure.
- Ensure incidents within their area of responsibility are investigated.
- Implement corrective actions identified from an incident investigation.
- Consult with staff, students, and relevant stakeholders so they can contribute to the incident management process.
- Provide timely and appropriate support to people involved or impacted.
4.5 Adelaide University community members are required to:
- Be aware of and comply with this procedure and other applicable policies, procedures and protocols, as advised through induction or other means.
- Follow all reasonable instructions and work practices to ensure their own safety, and that of others.
- Report incidents directly through [Unisafe] or request assistance from a staff member who has access to [Unisafe].
5. Definitions used in our procedure
Please refer to our Adelaide University glossary for a full list of our definitions.
Adelaide University community refers to a broad range of stakeholders who engage with Adelaide University and includes (but is not limited to) all students, staff, and non-staff members of Adelaide University including alumni, [honorary title holders], [adjuncts], visiting academics, guest lecturers, volunteers, suppliers, and partners who are engaging with and contributing to the work of Adelaide University.
(The term Adelaide University community replaces the term Worker as defined in the Work Health and Safety Act 2012 (SA)).
Contractor refers to:
- temporary/Agency staff hired through recruitment or labour hire agencies
- service contractors engaged via purchase agreements (e.g. technicians, delivery personnel)
- maintenance and event contractors, including sub-contractors (e.g. equipment servicing, marquee setup, catering)
- Estates and Facilities and Information Technology (IT) contractors for construction, capital works, and managed services (e.g. maintenance contracts, Service Level Agreements, trade agreements).
Corrective action refers to an action taken to control the risk and reduce the likelihood of injury following an incident occurring or a hazard being identified.
Due diligence is being proactive in keeping up to date with knowledge of work, health and safety matters and ensuring we meet our work, health, and safety obligations. Due diligence obligations are designed to make sure our Officers take reasonable steps to ensure the use of appropriate resources, policies, procedures and safety and wellbeing practices when undertaking overall and daily business operations.
Hazards refer to a situation, task or object that has the potential to cause injury or illness.
Health and Safety Representative (HSR) refers to a staff member formally elected to represent a designated workgroup and who has the authority under the Work Health and Safety Act 2012 (SA).
Incidents refer to occurrences arising out of, or in the course of, work that could or does result in damage, injury, and/or adverse health implications, including a near miss.
An Investigation refers to a process to identify all possible causes of an incident or reasons why a hazard is present, and the corrective action required to eliminate or control it.
A Near Miss refers to any incident that could have resulted in injury, illness, danger to health, or damage to property or the environment but did not.
Notifiable incidents refer to the death, serious injury or illness of a person or a dangerous incident including near misses, arising from the conduct of a business or undertaking. These incidents must be reported to SafeWork SA.
An Officer is defined in the Work Health and Safety Act 2012 (SA) as a person who makes or helps make a decision which affects either the whole or a major part of a business or undertaking. If a person has the capacity to significantly affect the financial standing of the organisation, they are recognised as an Officer.
Performance measures are quantifiable metrics used by an organisation to evaluate the effectiveness of their work, health, and safety management system, identify areas for improvement, and ensure compliance with applicable legislation.
Unisafe is the online system used by our staff and students to manage information related to wellbeing and safety issues. This includes reporting incidents, injuries and hazards to ensure timely investigations, risk assessments and control measures are applied to keep our community safe.
6. How our procedure is governed
This procedure is categorised, approved and owned in line with the governance structure of Adelaide University and the offices and officers listed below.
| Parent policy | Wellbeing and Safety Policy |
| Policy category | Corporate |
| Approving authority | co-Vice Chancellors/Vice Chancellor and President |
| Policy owner | Deputy Vice Chancellor - People and Culture |
| Responsible officer | Director, Wellbeing and Safety |
| Effective from | 1 January 2026 |
| Review date | [3/4/5 years after date this version is approved, TBC] |
| Enquiries | Interim Central Policy Unit/[Central Policy Unit] staff.policy.enquiries@adelaideuni.edu.au |
| Replaced documents | None |
7. Legislation and other documents related to this procedure
Refer to the Delegation Policy for all delegations at Adelaide University.
| Category | Documents |
|---|---|
| Associated procedures | Contractor Safety Procedure [Emergency Management Procedure] Hazard Management Procedure Injury Management Procedure [Records Management Procedure] |
| Related policy documents | Risk Management and Legal Compliance Policy |
| Referenced legislation |
Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021 National Code of Practice for Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students 2018 |
| Related legislation | |
| External references | SafeWork SA |
8. History of changes
| Date approved | To section/clauses | Description of change |
|---|---|---|
| 24 November 2024 | N/A | New procedure |
| 4 December 2025 | Full Review | Revised procedure to Adelaide University ambition |
At the time of writing, Adelaide University’s organisational structure, position titles, and committee names have not been confirmed. Square brackets [ ] indicate placeholders for these details. Brackets are also used to identify policy elements that are subject to further decision-making or confirmation. These will be updated once final decisions are made.