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Question: What is WESS?
Answer:
The Web Enabled Safety System (WESS) is the Naval Safety Center's on-line reporting and data retrieval system allows users to submit initial 5102 mishap/hazard notifications and 3750 hazard reports, route them through the releasing chain for validation prior to being sent to the Naval Safety Center. Currently only 3750 hazard reports can be endorsed. Once release to the Safety Center the report is QA'd for accuracy and released for the use of canned/queried reports based on access rights.
- Meets VCNO's web-enabled requirement
- Provides real-time reporting
- Eliminates the need for redundant local data entry systems
- Allows retrieval and download of data so activities can perform their own analyses
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Question: Is WESS mandatory?
Answer:
Yes. SECDEF tasked the services to reduce lost workday injuries by 75% by FY2008. To satisfy this requirement, the Navy and Marine Corps must have a complete picture of all mishaps and hazards. The Naval Safety Center must meet the VCNO’s requirement for all applications to be web-enabled. This requirement is outlined in OPNAVINST 5102.1D/MCO P5102.1B of 7 January 2005. The Naval message will always serve as a back-up for timely report submission, but even the message reports will be entered into WESS once received by the Naval Safety Center.
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Question: Why can't you just track this in Microsoft Access?
Answer: A more robust database engine is needed to maintain over 12 million records containing up to 2,000 data points each. Approximately 2 million records are added each year, and over 3,500 queries are performed each month. At any given time hundreds of users may be accessing the system at the same time. A corporate-level type database is needed, and the IBM/Informix relational database is used to meet these requirements. Also, we make changes to WESS almost every week – enhancements, bug-fixes, and changes – that are transparent to the user the next time they open WESS. If on an ACCESS program, these would need to be mailed out as CDs or users alerted to download them constantly.
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Question: Who is responsible for entering WESS reports?
Answer:
Commands may designate anyone they choose to make the entries. Much of the information originates with the medical department representative and command safety officer or manager. In any case, we recommend safety managers or officers review the data since they are familiar with many of the required elements in the data. The commanding officer is responsible for ensuring that the reporting is accomplished.
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Question: Can one individual enter reports for multiple UICs?
Answer:
Yes. If authorized by their chain of command, individuals with user accounts may prepare and send reports on any UICs under their purview. The system allows one reporting UIC to report a complete event, which may include people and property from other UICs, or to report for any other UIC.
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Question: Do I need separate accounts for each of my tenant activities?
Answer:
You may enter information for more than one UIC. The UIC you supply on your account request is the UIC to which you are assigned. This user account UIC does not restrict the UICs for which you may enter mishap/hazard reports. If each tenant prepares reports or views their data, then each will need a separate account.
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Question: Do I need a password to use WESS? Can anyone get one?
Answer:
Yes, a user account with password is required. You can go to https://wess.safetycenter.navy.mil and you will see a section to REQUEST AN ACCOUNT. In general, you should be authorized to request an account from the safety manager, CO or XO of your command. At some activities the CO or XO will designate a Safety Authority (SA), who will approve your request and forward it to the Naval Safety Center for creation of your account.
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Question: Can an entire group or office get just one password?
Answer:
In accordance with DOD and DON Information Assurance (IA) guidelines (DOD Directive 8500.1, NAVSO P-5239-15, OPNAVINST 5239.1B), passwords are issued to individuals only. Persons who enter data into WESS must have their own user accounts and passwords. DOD and DON IA guidelines require audit trails to monitor who is adding, changing and deleting records.
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Question: If I can't reach the website, how do I report?
Answer:
You may use the existing message traffic system to report your mishap or hazard. The message format will be provided in OPNAVINST 5102.1D/MCO P5102.1B or 3750.6R.
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Question: What browser should I use? Can I use Netscape?
Answer:
The NMCI adopted standard Internet Explorer 6.0 must be used. WESS will not function properly in Netscape.
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Question: Are you getting this page can not be displayed after modifying the settings in your Internet Explorer browser for the security setting TLS 1.0?
Answer: Please download the latest DOD certificate from https://www.dodpke.com/installroot. Try to log into WESS after this update. If this doesn't correct the problem, please contact our helpdesk for further advice.
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Question: Do Echelon 2 Commands have access to subordinate activities' data?
Answer:
Yes. Queries of any UICs/RUC/MCCs by the chain of command will be included in the reporting options.
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Question: Do I have to enter a mishap in WESS and send a message report?
Answer:
Sending a message report is not required if you are entering the report in WESS.
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Question: Is Marine Corps data part of WESS?
Answer:
WESS has included all Marine Corps required data and is used for all Marine Corps mishap and combat mishap reporting. Marine Corps data from MARTRAK and the Marine Corps Ground databases have been included and are available using the WESS report funcitons.
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Question: What about locally developed databases?
Answer:
WESS will be the authorized single source data system. However, activities wishing to maintain an additional database of their reports will be able to download data from WESS via a number of formats, including XML, Excel, Word and PDF.
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Question: What sort of data will I have access to?
Answer:
This will be dependent on your permission level determining privileged or non-privileged access to your command's or other commands' reports. All WESS users will have access to pre-formatted and custom reports for any and all Navy and Marine Corps activities. Only users granted permission as Ad-Hoc query tool users will have access to the entire database. If you do not see the data or reports desired, use the WESS Help form to request that data.
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Question: Is there a place to input the UIC in the reporting form?
Answer:
Yes. The application will capture both the involved and parent UICs. Involved UIC is where the event occurred. Parent UIC is the involved person’s activity. Since WESS is tailored to capture a variety of mishap events with varying degrees of complexity, UICs, and Marine Corps RUCs/MCCs are asked for to attach people to equipment to locations to users to owners. The UIC/RUC/MCC function is set to default to the Reporting Activity UIC/RUC/MCC. Throughout the application, whenever you are asked for a UIC/RUC/MCC, you only need to select the offered activity and hit Next, after you select and verify that the correct activity is given for the person, equipment, locations, etc.
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Question: Why is a Social Security Number (SSN) required to complete a report?
Answer:
Only the SSNs of on duty civilians and military persons injured in the mishap or hazard will be required to be reported. In keeping with DON and OSD taskers, WESS will capture SSN to facilitate joining of WESS data with data in other databases, such as training and medical databases.
This functionality is essential in verifying the completeness of WESS data and, by utilizing other databases, a more complete picture of factors involved in the events will facilitate analysis and remediation of these factors.
SSN is the common link between these databases and will be used only to link WESS information with information from other databases. WESS will not retrieve information by specific SSN. WESS complies with the Privacy Act.
Routine report users will not see SSNs on mishap reports or logs.
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Question: Can I print off the data I entered into WESS before I send the report?
Answer:
Yes. After the entry screens, there will be a screen listing all the functions you can now perform before you submit the report. One of these options is to generate a PDF of the entire report or generate a PDF Injury Log report. The report can then be printed.
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Question: Is there a pick list for MSDS?
Answer:
A Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) list is voluminous. Every activity is required to have access to an MSDS sheet for each chemical at its command. Please use that MSDS sheet to answer the MSDS-related questions.
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Question: Is it possible to get the software that you are using
so that I can start to use your format to collect my mishap information?
Answer:
There is no software to download. The application is web based and requires our IBM/Informix relational database, which cannot run on a PC. However, there are forms in Microsoft Word format that are available on the website and follow the questions presented in WESS based on the type of report you are entering. We suggest you download the form(s) http://www.safetycenter.navy.mil/wess/tutorial/worksheets/default.htm and use them offline to gather the information required for submission prior to sitting down and filling out a WESS report.
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Question: How do I suggest modifications or request enhancements to the system?
Answer:
A Feedback Form must be submitted. Depending on the level of work required, a configuration control board will determine acceptance of changes for WESS development. From the WESS Main Menu, click on the link Change Request to access the form.
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Question: Can I use ESAMS to report an aviation hazard?
Answer:
The answer is No. ESAMS is a person management system that can be used to report minor OSH related events. However, if there is a “defined Naval aircraft involved” you must use WESS to report your event. Plus you should note, that ESAMS is not designed to route, notify or endorse a report and does not collect the level of detail required to obtain a full OPNAVINST 3750.6R report.
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Question: If I report using ESAMS do I still have to report to WESS?
Answer:
The answer is Yes. ESAMS is a person management system that can be used to report minor OSH related events. Once you have entered the information into ESAMS, the report will be forwarded to the Naval Safety Center. If the report is a misahp that is anything beyond minor OSH related information, the report will have to be completed in WESS. The information you entered through ESAMS will be pre-populated, however you will be required to complete the information as outlined in the OPNAVINST 5102.1D.
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Question: Is there training for WESS?
Answer:
The answer is Yes. Currently we have several available sources for training. For training you can walk through the power point tutorials published to the public website. Another option is to contact the Safety Center and request a mobile training team visit to your command. The Safety Center is working on a formal training solution to be incorporated in the Safety Officer and NAVOSH courses, the date of availability is still TBD.
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Question: Why doesn't all the required fields in WESS have an asterisk?
Answer:
The "*" and its associated description at the bottom of each page states
"Indicates required field must be entered before moving to next screen".
These required fields are those that are used to facilitate the flow of the
capture of event information and access to it through the application. e.g.
Entry requires a date and local serial number be provided. These pieces of
data are used for the functionality that allows a user to exit a WESS event
and come back at a later time to pick the specific event from the draft list
and continue working it. Other fields such as mishap involved on the first
screen are used to determine the flow of the application. If the customer
indicates that the event is a diving event, the application will not present
the customer with fields that would capture Motor Vehicle related data but
would display those that are dive related. If a customer identifies that an
involved person is Navy enlisted, the application will not present officer
of civilian screens and selections, etc....
An overarching customer requirement for event entry is to be able to enter
the event iteratively or to move through an event and continue entry even if
they do not know a specific piece of data at that time. This, of course, is
speaking to fields that do not determine application flow. An example would
be that a customer is reporting a fatality in an event. The requirement
exists for fatalities that a date of death be entered. If the person
performing the entry does not know the date of death when they are on that
screen, they are allowed to continue on to the next screen. A set of
validation rules at the end of entry assesses the input for each event and
based on the specifics of the event, it checks to see if all required fields
for that mishap type are present. If not, it specifies the fields that are
still needed and provides links in most cases to go back to the specific
screen to complete the entry. In the case of the fatality example, the WESS
customer could enter all known information for the event but leave the date
of death blank. When the report is validated at the end, it would recognize
that a fatality exists and the date of death is required and still needs to
be entered. A link would take the customer back to the page where date of
death is captured. If they still do not know the date, they can exit entry
and return to it at a later time when they have identified the required
piece of data. After the customer provides the input from the page they were
linked to and presses next, they are returned to the validation screen and
may continue the submission process.
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