After an incident has occurred and the initial emergency response has been completed, OEHS will need to be notified of the incident. OEHS will conduct an incident investigation to understand the root cause of the incident and to identify changes that may need to be made to prevent a similar incident from occurring. Contact OEHS by phone (313-577-1200) or email (oehs@wayne.edu) to report the incident and provide a statement of what occurred. You and any witnesses may be asked to complete a form to provide additional information about the incident.

When should you contact OEHS?

Below are questions and situations that provide a guide as to when OEHS should be notified of an incident occurring. If you answer “Yes” to any of the questions, then you must notify OEHS of the incident.

• Did the event pose an immediate threat to health, safety, or the environment?
• Did the event involve exposure to hazardous materials, substances, or conditions?
• Did the event cause injury, illness, property damage, or environmental harm?
• Did the event involve a significant environmental impact, such as a spill or release?
• Did the event result in a near-miss?

Near miss – An incident in which no property damage occurred, no injury or death occurred, and/or no environmental damage occurred, but could have, given a slight shift in time or position.

Examples of Incident Events

• Struck Against (Running or Bumping into)
• Struck By (Hit By Moving Object)
• Fall from Elevation to Lower Level
• Fall on the Same Level (Slip and Fall, Trip Over)
• Caught In (Pinch and Nip Points)
• Caught On (Snagged, Hung)
• Caught Between or Under (Crushed or Amputated)
• Contact With (Electricity, Heat, Cold, Radiation, Caustics, Toxins, Biological, Noise)
• Overstress, Overpressure, Overexertion, Ergonomic
• Environmental Release
• Equipment Failure
• Abnormal Operation
• Chemical spill