Reporting accidents, incidents and near misses at home

The following things can happen when you’re working at home:

  • an accident
  • an incident
  • a near miss

These are events that don't cause injury but could do. If they happen you need to report them in the same way you would in the workplace.

As you’re in control of your home environment, you are responsible for your own safety there. 

It's the council's responsibility to make sure you can work at home in a safe way and that the equipment you use is in a good working condition.

What to report

Report near miss or work-related incidents to the Health and Safety (H&S) team.

This includes incidents that happen at home that lead to a physical injury or affect your mental health, if:

  • the incident happened because of something the council did or didn’t do
  • there was something the council could have done to stop it

You don’t need to report incidents that aren’t related to work but happened during your working hours.

This includes:

  • falling down the stairs
  • a burn when making a cup of tea
  • becoming ill due to a current medical condition

Speak to your manager if you suffer a significant injury and you’re worried that your home might not be suitable for working. Your manager will see if the council can make any changes.

You must report the following incidents that happen while working at home:

  • an injury caused by equipment the council gives you, such as faulty computer equipment
  • an injury resulting from a chair collapsing
  • an injury from tripping over trailing cables when handling items for your job
  • a back injury from carrying equipment
  • an injury from the use of Display Screen Equipment (DSE), when it's not been set up correctly
  • violent or aggressive behaviour from a client about a work issue - this could be verbal or written abuse by telephone or email, which results in harm to your mental health and wellbeing

How to report an incident

Staff must report any incident or near miss to the Health and Safety team as soon as they can.

Staff working in schools must: