Introducing the UCL Health and Safety Lessons Learned Library

As part of the UCL Health and Safety Strategic Plan and Vision: 2027 and beyond, Theme 4, Performance monitoring and continual improvement: Ensure effective accident reporting, investigation, and lessons learned are implemented – we are pleased to launch a new resource to support learning and continuous improvement.

Why we created the Lessons Learned Library

At UCL, safety is a shared responsibility – and every experience, good or bad, gives us an opportunity to strengthen the way we work. The Health and Safety Lessons Learned Library brings together real examples from across our labs, workshops, offices and specialist spaces.

By understanding what happened, why it happened, and what actions were taken to prevent it from happening again, we can make meaningful improvements across the university.

Why sharing lessons matters

When something goes wrong – even if no one is harmed – it provides valuable information. Sharing lessons learned:

• Prevents repeat incidents: Underlying causes often appear in more than one area. By sharing what we know, we help others identify and address risks early.
• Strengthens our safety culture: Talking openly about safety encourages transparency and collaboration.
• Supports continuous improvement: Lessons often lead to better processes, clearer guidance, or new safety measures.

A near miss today could be a serious incident tomorrow – unless we learn from it.

Submit a Lesson Learned

We encourage all staff to share a Lesson Learned whenever something goes wrong or nearly goes wrong. You don’t need to prepare a detailed report, our submission form uses structured fields to ensure we receive consistent, clear Lessons Learned from across UCL. 

 View the Lessons Learned Library and submit a Lessons Learned (UCL login required)

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