Log an Incident case in Helpline

For when an incident has occurred on the premises. This article explains how to log the report using the Incident form.

  • In the left vertical navigation menu, click 'Helpline'.
  • Click the 'Add Case' tab.
  • Click the 'Incident' option located in the 'Health & Safety' section.

An explanation of the fields required to raise the case are listed in the 'Raising the case' section. Below that, the 'Updating the case' section contains further information for logging case details throughout the investigation.

Raising the case

Location: This is automatically populated for users who have access to a single location. For users with access to multiple locations, either type the location name or click 'Show List' and choose the location from the list.

Department: Which area of the business the case relates to, for example, Kitchen, Library. This is an optional field.

Your internal reference: Use for any internal reference system. This is an optional field.

Describe what happened: Log a brief description of the incident being reported. Once the case is saved, more specific information should be recorded in the specific fields provided.

Date and time of incident: Click the calendar icon to choose a date from the calendar or click the date field to type the date the incident occurred. Add the time using the up and down arrows on the hours (HH) and minutes (MM) fields.

How were you notified of the incident? How was the complaint received into the business? (drop-down option)

Incident details: Select the type of incident from the drop-down menu.

Updating a case

Once a case has been raised, further information should be added as the matter is investigated through to conclusion. The case is now available via the 'My Cases' tab.

The case can be identified using the:

  • 'Location' column to identify which location the case was logged at.
  • 'Date' column to identify the date the case was raised.
  • The 'Type' column to identify the type of case raised, ie, 'Incident' or 'Accident'.

  • Once the correct case is identified, click the relevant Reference number to open the record.
  • Click the 'Edit' buttons to expand the sections.

  • Specific details can now be recorded in the relevant fields.
  • When all updates have been made, click the 'Save Changes' button for that section.
  • Click the 'View' button to view the information in any section.
  • The fields relating to each section are listed below.

Report questionnaire

This section is a useful guide to follow up actions and log 3rd party communications such as police or ambulance services. Some questions provide a text box to log further details if they are answered "Yes". Only the questions requiring further explanation are listed here.

Were the emergency services involved?: This is usually in relation to physical or verbal attacks. If the answer is yes, field opens to record crime reference number.

Was the incident captured on CCTV?: CCTV images should be stored safely as they may be required later. CCTV footage cannot be uploaded to the case due to file sizes often generated.

Have you contacted your insurance company about the incident?: Many insurance companies have a requirement to be given notice of any accidents so they can prepare for a possible claim in advance.

Have you contacted enforcing authority about the incident?:  This might be appropriate if you feel / are advised a claim or similar may ensue. Having the local authority investigate may support your defence. It should be decided on a case-by-case basis.

What have you done to remove any immediate hazard or reduce the risk?: This may involve taking equipment out of use, moving furniture to eliminate a hazard, putting up warning signage etc.

Details of any equipment/machinery involved

Use this section to log details of any equipment or machinery which may have been involved in causing the injury. Only the first question is mandatory to say whether machinery was involved.

Actions Taken

Use this section to log any follow up activities which have taken place as a result of your own internal investigation. 

If any of these questions are answered “Yes”, a text field is opened to record the details.

With the exception of the final question, if you have answered “No” to all of these questions, you are confirming that all processes were applied correctly, and your procedures and processes are robust. The final question is to provide justification in circumstances where no changes have been made.

Incident Witnesses

If witnesses were present, answer "Yes" to open a text field and record their details.