Investigation - Stage 4: Accessing specialists - Additional guidance
Prioritisation of requests for specialist support
Specialist managers (Band 1 and above) in each division should agree criteria for the prioritisation of work within their teams and cascade those criteria to all appropriate staff in the division.
Types of work that should be considered in agreeing criteria will include the following:
- Major incidents as defined in HSE's Major incident and civil contingencies procedure
- Investigation of fatal accidents, especially where prosecution is considered
- Investigation of serious accidents and incidents where there is significant public concern, significant national implications or where failure to investigate could lead to further risk
- Investigation of incidents where a product safety issue has been identified and the equipment is supplied through the EU and a safeguard action is required.
- Planned proactive work, such as assessment of safety reports/cases, support for HSE programmes or major hazard/intervention work
- Training of new specialist inspectors
- Investigation of serious accidents, incidents and ill health not identified above where there is a lack of published guidance or standards or where published guidance or standards require specialist interpretation for the particular circumstances of the accident
- Representational work with professional bodies and other important stakeholders, including input to standards and guidance
- Training of HSE inspectors and LA officers
- Investigations of less serious accidents where there is a lack of guidance or standards or where published guidance or standards require specialist interpretation for the particular circumstances of the accident
- General requests for advice