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We all do our best to ensure a happy and healthy workforce. That’s why, in a perfect world, you would never have to create an incident report.
But since incidents do happen, it’s never a bad idea to be prepared for any situation–especially the unexpected.
Small business owners, human resources teams and workplace emergency first responders: this is the article for you!
In this step-by-step guide, I’ll share our top tips on creating incident reports that will help you carry out effective investigations and make sure similar (or more serious) incidents don’t happen again. I’ll also include our top incident report templates to get the job done.
Table of Contents:
All of the templates in this post can be customized using our easy online incident report maker tool. It’s free to sign up, many of our templates are free to use too.
An incident report is a form to document all workplace illnesses, injuries, near misses and accidents. An incident report should be completed at the time an incident occurs no matter how minor an injury is.
Here’s one example:
Any illness or injury that impacts an employee’s ability to work must be noted. The specifics of what is required by law to be included in an incident report will vary depending on the federal or provincial legislation that affects your workplace.
If you’re unsure, you can take a look at your government’s website for more details. In certain cases, there are exceptions that can exempt small businesses from complying with such legislation.
A well-structured incident report typically includes the following five key elements:
It’s important to establish a systematic method for investigating incidents.
It’s also equally important to have a report prepared that enables you to record every relevant aspect of the incident details–this is the essential first step in the incident reporting process.
After you’ve created your incident report form, you can:
To write any incident case reports, follow the basic format described below.
Employees of your organization should notify their manager or another member of the company’s leadership committee as soon as an incident occurs–regardless of the nature of the event (whether it be an accident, illness, injury or near miss).
That being said, there need to be communication channels clearly defined to promote the practice of employees coming forward in these situations and the importance of such.
Once an incident has been reported, the member of leadership’s first responsibility is to ensure that appropriate treatment, if necessary, is being administered to those affected by the event.
On this note: if the hazard still exists, the manager that the event has been reported to must eliminate the hazard by controlling it. Each company should have a defined procedure for accomplishing this based on the nature of their work.
For example, if there was a spill that caused a fall. You would attend to the victim and promptly have the spill wiped up and identify the area as a hazard by using a sign.
Once the immediate action including the response to the event and eliminating the hazard from the environment has been conducted, it’s time to determine and record the facts related to the incident details.
9 facts related to the incident include:
1. The basics
Identify the specific location, time and date of the incident. This information is fundamental to the investigation and the most obvious information to collect.
2. The affected
Collect details of those involved and/or affected by the incident. This would entail recording the name(s) of the individual(s) involved, their job title(s), the department(s) they operate in the manager(s) of those affected.
3. The witnesses
Speak to any witnesses of the event to collect their perspectives of the event. Record their statements as detailed and accurate as possible in the form.
To ensure accuracy, it’s best practice to review your notes with the witness to ensure they agree with how the event is portrayed in the report. It’s also important to include the name(s) of any witnesses in the report in case any additional questioning is required.
4. The context
Consider and document the events that occurred leading up to the incident. Ask:
It is important to identify which factors were an outcome of the incident and which factors were present prior to the incident and could be a potential contributing factor to the incident occurring.
5. The actions
In the report, you must specify the actions of those involved at the time of the incident. What did the employee do that led to the incident?
For example, if an employee injured their back when lifting a box at work, it is important to determine how that employee lifted the box to decide if that contributed to the injury. If yes, then inquire if this employee was trained properly for this task and by who or what source.
6. The environment
Identify and record environmental conditions that contributed to the event. Was there inadequate lighting? Was a piece of equipment not operating properly? Was the employees’ visibility obstructed by a glare or blind spot? Etc.
7. The injuries
Record detailed descriptions of specific injuries and evaluate the severity of such in the report. This description should include part(s) of the body injured, nature and extent of injuries.
8. The treatment
It is also important to document in the incident case report the type of treatment administered for the acknowledged injuries. This information is important to document in order to understand how the employee recovers when reviewing the specifics of the event.
9. The damages
Record an account of any damage to equipment, materials, etc that was affected by the incident. This will be helpful to refer back during the analysis of the event in order to consider both a corrective action plan and to determine what items will need to be repaired or replaced.
Collecting and recording the facts related to the occurrence of the incident will aid in determining how the incident occurred. Analyzing the collected facts related to the incident will aid in determining why the incident occurred.
Analyzing and determining how and why the incident occurred is essential in order to develop an effective corrective action plan.
Potential causes for accidents or injuries that occurred in the workplace could include:
A corrective action plan would provide recommendations as a means to reduce the possibility of a continued issue and/or recurrence of the incident details. The recommendations would result from an effective analysis of the facts collected and documented in the incident report.
Elements of an effective corrective action plan could include:
Here are some examples of types of incident reports to help you get started. I’ve also included some report design tips to help you present your information effectively. If you want to dig a bit deeper into the topic, here’s a comprehensive guide to general report design that I find handy.
As with any document you create for your business, it’s good practice to incorporate your branding into your incident reports. (Psst–Venngage’s Brand Kit feature makes it easy to add your branding in just a click!)
Include your brand colors in your design. You can do this by using them in the report header, footer, sidebar and in any visuals.
You could use your brand colors in the background of your incident report:
You may also want to include your logo, like in this incident report template:
To make your information as readable as possible, organize it into sections. One of the easiest ways to do this is by using boxes.
For example, take a look at how these types of incident report templates use boxes to section off the information:
This type of incident report example also uses rectangles to denote section headers:
Colors aren’t just great for making your reports , presentations and charts more interesting to look at. You can also use color to organize sections of your report and to draw attention to key information.
For more tips on using color in your designs, read our guide on how to pick colors to communicate effectively.
As part of your company branding, you may want to add a visual header to your reports. For example, this incident case report template uses a neutral photo with a color filter to create a professional header:
You can do this in Venngage by overlaying a photo on a color background and adjusting the opacity of the photo:
You can use the same effect for sidebars as well:
If you’re transitioning in staff or something happens when the individual who owns incident reports is away, it’s very important that there is a process documented. That will ensure that if someone is put on the spot, they can fill in the incident report properly.
It can also be helpful to add brief descriptions of the information in the type of incident report to include in each field. Take a look at how this incident report example offers some brief text to guide the person filling it out:
Icons are small, compact visuals that can be used to reinforce the information in your reports. You can also use them to draw attention to specific fields and important pieces of information.
For example, this incident case report template uses icons to indicate the purpose of each field:
Here’s an example of a completed incident report:
Name:
John Smith
Department:
Maintenance
Phone Number:
(555) 123-4567
Incident Location:
Warehouse B, Loading Dock
Date:
July 1, 2024
Time:
3:15 PM
Incident Description:
At approximately 3:15 PM on July 8, 2024, a pallet of boxes fell from a forklift at the loading dock of Warehouse B. The forklift operator, Jane Smith, was moving the pallet when it tipped over, causing several boxes to fall and spill their contents onto the floor. One of the boxes struck the leg of another employee, Michael Brown, causing a minor injury.
Incident Causes:
The incident was primarily caused by the pallet being improperly secured on the forklift, compounded by the forklift operator potentially making a sharp turn, which led to the pallet tipping over. Additionally, the cluttered area around the loading dock restricted movement and contributed to the incident.
Follow-up Recommendations:
To prevent similar incidents in the future, it is recommended to conduct thorough inspections of all forklifts and ensure that pallets are properly secured before moving. Additional training should be provided for forklift operators on safe handling and maneuvering of loads. Furthermore, maintaining a clutter-free environment around the loading dock is essential to ensure safe operations. Regular safety audits should be implemented to identify and address potential hazards promptly. Finally, ensuring that all employees are aware of and follow safety protocols is crucial to prevent future incidents.
Employee signature: John Smith
Additional witnesses signatures: May Lee, Tamara Johnson
Although being prepared for the unexpected is often difficult, preventative measures are the cornerstone of maintaining a happy and healthy working environment for yourself and your workforce.
Incident reports are not only a defining piece in any company’s incident response protocol, but they provide a means to avoid recurring mishaps and/or inspire change.
That’s why it is crucial to have a relevant and comprehensive incident report form prepared and on hand for any incident details that may arise. By adhering to your jurisdiction’s legislation and considering the four components prescribed above, you’ll be well-prepared to handle incidents effectively.
The effect of responding to workplace incidents in a timely and detail-oriented manner will not only ensure a safe workplace but also:
An incident report is used to describe an event that requires an investigation that needs to be documented.
Commonly, incidents can be categorized into four main types:
Incident reports generally cover a variety of situations and the specific types may vary based on context and industry. It’s important to note that these categories can overlap and the classification may differ depending on the reporting system or industry standards.
More HR guides and templates:
Victoria Clarke is the former People & Culture Manager at Venngage. Driven by a passion for inclusivity, finding the best talent and creating engaging work environments, Victoria thrives by empowering high-performance teams. Connect with her on LinkedIn!
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