Highways Agency - Safe roads, Reliable journeys, Informed travellers

12. Appendix C - Incident Management

Risk assessment should be used to determine the appropriate level of incident management, allowing incidents to be categorised and related to their severity and likelihood of occurrence.

It may be appropriate that within this assessment incidents are categorised, Category 1 a 'severe incident' to Category X a 'minor incident'. Category 1 events will require full investigation and remedial action by changing the Health and Safety Plan. A high number of lower category incidents will also require investigation A procedure should be established to determine the appropriate level of investigation related to management responsibility.

The process of categorisation gives performance indicators for long term monitoring, to achieve the ultimate aim of any management system, which is 'continual improvement of performance.'

At the end of the Contract the client should be presented with a formal written report, Review of Incident Record, stating the manner in which the safety procedures were managed changes made and lessons learned. Such a report is only likely to be forthcoming if specified and priced in the contract.

The Incident Management Procedure must be considered with the other management proposals. A traditional risk assessment in accordance with BS 8800:1996, Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems would be suitable. This is based on the probability of occurrence rated against severity and may be used to enable a risk rating to be determined. This may be related to the control plan in which the incident can be measured according to its risk rating against the control function available. Even if the basic plan is considered to pass the qualitative test the Client must allow time for review to take place on site where the detail can be tested in situ.

If the design of the traffic management has contributed to an incident, the feedback must be to the Designer and appropriate measures should be taken to minimise the risk for the future. Similarly, poor implementation and maintenance contributing to an incident will have repercussions for the Contractor, the site supervisory team, and associated procedures. It is essential that the facts relating to an incident are available to all those who have responsibility, both contractual and under legislation.

It is good practice for the Planning Supervisor and Designer to assess the report and revise the next design procedure and pre-tender Health and Safety Plan to incorporate lessons learned in the next scheme.