Incident ReportingThe definitive guide on reporting safety incidents.

In any workplace, accidents are inevitable, but what matters most is how they are handled. Filling out an incident report form is a common initial response, yet it only scratches the surface. The true purpose of an incident report goes beyond documentation; it aims to investigate the root cause and implement preventive measures.

To fulfill this purpose, organizations need a seamless incident reporting process accessible to all, from contractors to top management. Adequate resources must also be in place to manage incidents effectively. A robust incident reporting and management system, coupled with a feedback loop, enhances safety awareness and performance across the entire organization.

What Is Incident Reporting?

Incident reporting is a way to document, investigate, and handle incidents that occur within the organization. Incidents can be damage to a person, or property or even a possibility of a mishap or security breach.

Incident reporting is a process, not a one-off event. When done right, it can help you prevent future incidents and make sure you're building a culture where everyone feels safe and supported at work. It can also help you identify patterns and trends in your workplace to not just improve safety awareness among workers but also make them better prepared for any potential emergencies.

For example, if a few of the employees were injured because of an electrical fault in a piece of equipment, you can use this information to better educate workers about potential dangers related to handling it to prevent future incidents.

What Counts As an Incident?

An incident is any event that has the potential to cause harm or injury at work. An incident doesn't necessarily mean there was an accident or injury, but it does mean that something occurred that should be investigated further because it could lead to one in the future if not addressed properly.

Even though most incidents are accidents resulting from negligence, mishandling, or lack of knowledge, it's imperative to document every one to avoid recurrence. While there are several categories of incidents based on your industry, here are some of the most common types:

Near-misses

A near-miss is an event that could have resulted in an incident or injury but did not. Near-misses are often the most valuable data for identifying safety problems and can be used to help prevent future incidents.

Related: Learn more about the Safetymint near miss reporting software

Lost time injury

All injuries resulting in an employee missing work are considered lost-time injuries. This includes broken bones, concussions, burns and cuts requiring stitches or staples, sprains and strains, etc. It doesn't matter how minor the injury may seem - if it keeps an employee out of work for even one day, it must be reported.

Safety observations

Safety observations of unsafe conditions are things you observe during your typical work day that might not directly impact safety but could lead to a serious incident if left unaddressed. For example, you see a piece of equipment with a damaged safety guard or lever that should be replaced immediately because it could fail at any time, causing injury or damage to property.

Unsafe practices

Unsafe practices are unsafe acts committed by employees that could result in an accident or injury if not corrected. Unsafe practices include violating company rules and procedures, such as failing to follow established procedures when working around heavy equipment, using required PPE, wearing a seat-belt while driving a forklift, etc.

Fatalities

Any death or serious injury that occurs in the workplace must be reported as soon as possible. This includes any employee who dies from a heart attack or stroke at work, as well as any employee who is injured on the job and needs serious medical assistance.

Why Do We Need to Report Incidents?

To reduce the risk of harm to employees

When an incident occurs, it is important to document and report it so that others are not at risk of injury. This is especially true if there were no injuries or fatalities involved in the incident. There may be other ways to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future by analyzing what happened and learning from it. The first step is recognizing that an incident has occurred, and reporting it allows for this recognition.

To identify potential hazards

When an incident occurs, there is always some element of hazard involved. In some cases, these are obvious and could have been prevented if the right safety precautions had been taken. Other times, these hazards will be more subtle and harder to identify and correct without proper training or experience. Reporting incidents can help identify these hazards so that they can be addressed before they cause any further harm or injury to others.

To formulate future prevention strategies

When an incident occurs, gathering as much information as possible about what happened and why it happened is critical. This helps us determine whether or not the incident was preventable and if there are any known risks that could lead to similar situations in the future. You can use this information to develop training programs specific to your unique needs.

To Improve the overall safety awareness

Incident reporting systems give safety officers and supervisors valuable insights into what's happening on the ground level at their organization. They can use this information to understand where they need improvement and where they could benefit from stricter policies or more training sessions for their staff members.

What Are the Common Workplace Incidents?

Workplace incidents are often the result of human error, and sometimes they're due to a faulty machine or tool. In some cases, they're caused by factors outside the control of employees themselves, such as bad weather conditions or extreme heat. While there are different types of workplace incidents, it's important for employers to know about them so they can take steps to prevent them from happening again.

Slips and trips

Slips and trips are the most common workplace incidents. They can happen in any workplace, including offices, warehouses and manufacturing plants. Common slip-and-fall hazards include wet floors, spills on floors, loose rugs/carpeting, protruding objects on floors, uneven floor surfaces, slippery railings/handrails, poor housekeeping, faulty maintenance or misplacement of tools and equipment.

Fire-related incidents

Fire-related incidents can be caused by electrical malfunctions or issues with heating systems. It can also happen when workers use tools or equipment in an area with flammable materials such as oily rags, paint, solvents and other combustible liquids. The most common injuries resulting from these workplace incidents include burns and smoke inhalation.

Vehicle-related incidents

Vehicle-related incidents include motor vehicle crashes on company property as well as injuries related to forklifts, lifts and other equipment used in industrial settings such as warehouses and manufacturing plants. The most common injuries resulting from vehicle-related workplace incidents include fractures and lacerations.

Overexertion and muscle strains

The most common causes of muscle strains are repeated lifting and carrying heavy loads, awkward arm and hand positions, poor body mechanics, sudden and jerky movements and working with vibrating tools, such as jackhammers. It can lead to ligament tears, muscle weakness or muscle pulling.

Exposure to toxic fumes

Toxic fumes can be caused by various substances, including asbestos, lead paint, chlorine, ammonia, carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide, sulfur dioxide and diesel exhaust. These dangerous fumes can cause serious health problems such as respiratory disorders or cancer if inhaled in large amounts. For example, if a worker is exposed to chlorine gas while working with pipes and tanks containing this chemical, he may suffer from severe respiratory problems like lung damage, coughing up blood and other related health issues.

Crashes and collisions

Workplace crashes and collisions can involve vehicles, machinery or people - or combinations thereof - and can cause serious damage if proper safety procedures aren't followed. Most crashes and collisions can lead to back injuries, hip fractures and head trauma. If the person is riding in a forklift or a truck, they might also be at risk for neck injuries and spinal cord damage if the vehicle rolls over during a crash.

Fall from heights

Falls from heights are one of the most common causes of death at work. This category includes all falls from ladders, scaffolding and working platforms, as well as falls from roofs or windowsills. Falls from lower heights may cause injuries such as broken bones and bruises. And falls from higher heights can cause death or serious injuries such as spinal cord damage or brain injury.

Violence

Violence includes verbal abuse, physical attacks on employees and customers, or damage to property such as computers or vehicles. These types of violent actions also come under incidents as it can harm the people in the surroundings or damage the property.

Repetitive strain injury

A repetitive strain injury is a painful condition caused by repetitive movements or force from work activities. It can affect your hands, wrists, elbows, shoulders, neck, upper back and lower back. It may be caused by awkward postures, forceful exertion and prolonged use of vibrating tools or equipment such as jackhammers, concrete breakers and pneumatic drills. It can also result from a poor work environment that does not provide adequate support for the body or enough breaks from heavy lifting or carrying.

Loud noises

Loud noises resulting from machinery or equipment used in manufacturing operations may cause damage hearing in workers who don't wear appropriate protective gear while working on those machines. It can lead to hearing loss and cause other health problems down the road if it isn't controlled properly at work.

Incident Reporting: How Does It Work?

Before we talk about the exact process of reporting and managing incidents, it's essential to train employees to look out for various types of incidents, accidents and near-misses. These could be accidents involving equipment failure or damage, fires, chemical spills, injuries caused by slips and falls, and other similar incidents.

In addition, employees should be trained to recognize warning signs of an impending accident. For example, if they notice equipment overheating or a possibility of leakage, they should report it immediately so that you can respond accordingly. Once they discover an incident, they need to follow specific steps to report it through official channels immediately.

1. Follow the company's reporting system

Every company has its incident reporting policy. You can find it on your company's intranet site or employee handbook. If you don't know where to look for it, ask your manager or HR representative for help. Typically, there are different categories of incidents based on their severity levels and impact on business operations. The employee needs to enter the essential details like the type, location, date and time, the people involved and the extent of the incident. An investigative team will then take steps based on the incident report to analyze the underlying reasons.

2. Conduct the investigation

After filing an incident investigation report, an investigative team or the safety department will probe into the incident thoroughly so they can understand what happened and how it affected the organization. It's important to gather as much evidence as possible from various sources to resolve the problem quickly without causing further damage.

3. Determine the root cause of the incident

Accidents and injuries are never planned. So, when they happen, there is no way to avoid them or prevent them from occurring again. However, there are some ways in which we can prevent them from happening again by analyzing the root cause of the accident. This can be done by looking at the factors that led to it and making necessary changes so that it does not occur again. In some cases, companies make changes based on their analysis, while in other cases, they may need help from experts who have better knowledge of these things than them. Whatever the approach is, this root cause analysis will serve as the foundation for improving the safety culture and avoiding such incidents in the first place.

4. Review and close the report

After completing the investigation, the team will submit a report which outlines the root cause of the incident, recommended action steps to avoid it and any other suggestions to improve the safety levels in the organization. Once the investigative team or the safety department has submitted the report, the manager will review it, take note of the conclusions, close the report, or escalate it further.

What Should Be Included in an Incident Report?

1. Type of incident:

This is the most crucial aspect of an incident report and should be clearly stated. It is also helpful to note if this is a first-time occurrence or if there have been similar incidents.

2. Location of incident:

The location where the incident occurred is vital for risk management as it helps you identify potential root causes and possible solutions.

3. Description of the incident:

It is vital to give a detailed description of what happened during the incident. This will help safety authorities identify the root cause and take steps to prevent the same from occurring in the future.

4. Shift:

The shift in which an employee was working when they witnessed or experienced the incident should also be mentioned in the report.

5. The severity of the incident:

Here, you'll describe how serious the incident was in terms of its potential consequences. Many organizations have a severity level or rating to include, which helps the safety department to have a bird's eye view of the safety awareness in the organization.

6. People involved:

There can be many people involved in the incident, from the ones who saw it from afar to the ones who were the cause or were affected by it. Make sure to include all their names, job roles and contact details, which could later help the investigation.

7. Injuries/damages:

If there are any injuries or damages due to the incident, you should mention them as well. These can be physical injuries like cuts, bruises, burns, or property damage like damaged equipment, broken infrastructure, etc. If anybody was hurt during the incident, then mention it clearly so they can get treated as soon as possible.

8. Delivered treatment:

If a person was injured, you'll need to mention the administered treatment, like the first-aid processes, medications, hospital visits, etc.

9. Witness statements:

if there were any witnesses to the incident, it's essential to get their statements and record them with the report.

10. Supporting evidence:

This can include photographs and videos during or after the incident, along with witness statements.

What Are the Challenges Involved in Incident Reporting?

Incident reporting and management is a critical task for any business, whether large or small, as it helps ensure that the right people are involved in resolving the incidents quickly and effectively. However, there are many challenges associated with incident reporting and management, such as:

The need to log incidents manually:

Many organizations still rely on spreadsheets or manual processes for reporting incidents and managing investigations. This can lead to delays, missed information, and inaccurate data.

Difficulty in tracking the progress of incidents after they have been logged:

This makes it challenging to manage resources effectively and assess how well processes are working.

Messy, lengthy paperwork:

When the employees have to fill out form after form and take them to different departments, they can be discouraged from reporting the incidents.

Complicated processes for managing different incidents:

This can include having different systems in place for every kind of incident or manually logging each one into multiple systems, which could lead to chaos and missed reports.

Lack of proper templates or guidelines:

When there are no standardized processes that make it simple for employees to report incidents, many incidents can go unreported.

How Can Incident Reporting & Management Be Simplified?

If an incident occurs, it's essential to understand why and what caused it. But as much as we know the importance of reporting, recording and following up on incidents, it can be tedious and cumbersome when you don't have a streamlined process. In these situations, automated incident reporting & management software proves invaluable. The purpose of this process is three-fold:

• It allows the organization to manage their risks better by analyzing what went wrong and what can be done differently next time.
• t can provide valuable insight into how often certain incidents occur and identify the gaps in safety policies.
• It helps with checking compliance requirements based on industry standards.

In fact, incident management software has become the cornerstone of any effective security and safety program with its ability to quickly and accurately report an incident. This is especially important in today's climate, where companies are under more pressure than ever to be proactive and reduce their risk exposure. By having an automated solution in place, organizations can ensure that they are getting all of the vital incident information into one place so that it can be tracked, analyzed, and acted upon.

What Are the Perks of Using an Incident Reporting Software?

An incident is any event that has the potential to cause harm or injury at work. An incident doesn't necessarily mean there was an accident or injury, but it does mean that something occurred that should be investigated further because it could lead to one in the future if not addressed properly.

Even though most incidents are accidents resulting from negligence, mishandling, or lack of knowledge, it's imperative to document every one to avoid recurrence. While there are several categories of incidents based on your industry, here are some of the most common types:

Reduced Time Spent on Repetitive Tasks

The most obvious benefit is that the time spent on repetitive administrative tasks is reduced by a considerable amount. You will have to spend less time entering data into your incident management software and retrieving reports. For example, a form may be pre-populated with all the relevant data points, which the user can validate before saving. This eliminates the need for users to manually enter information into various fields on multiple screens.

Increased Transparency

It's easy for employees at all levels of your organization to see what incidents have occurred and how they were resolved. This makes it easier for them to understand what policies need changing, reducing the risk of similar incidents happening again.

Improved Efficiency and Accuracy

An incident management software will allow you to streamline your workflow by automating certain processes, such as logging incidents or generating reports automatically based on predefined criteria. As a result, there will be fewer errors in your data collection and analysis, leading to improved efficiency and accuracy of the process.

Faster Response to Incidents

Incident management software can also help improve response times for critical situations or events by providing real-time access to all required information related to an incident. It also helps you identify the root causes of issues so that you can take appropriate corrective actions before they escalate into larger problems down the road.

Instant Availability

When you use a cloud-based incident reporting software, it is easier for everyone involved to access it whenever needed. You do not need to go through a lot of paperwork or wait for someone else's approval before accessing the report.

Easy Access To Reports

With an incident reporting system at your disposal, all reports are accessible from anywhere with internet access. This makes it easier for everyone involved in the process to access the reports from their smartphones, tablets or laptops at their convenience.

Reduced Errors

The process of reporting incidents can be tedious and error-prone if done manually. Incorrectly entering any information in an incident report will result in inaccurate metrics and analysis. With a guided incident management system, there are fewer chances of making mistakes because the system has built-in validation rules with automated workflows and escalations.

Improved Data Collection and Analysis

Good incident management software can provide valuable insights into how well your organization performs over time - in terms of its day-to-day operations and overall safety standards. This can help the managers and safety departments take the necessary steps to incrementally improve safety performance.

Features to Look Out for in an Incident Reporting Software

In the world of software, there is no shortage of options for incident reporting. You can choose from a wide range of products with robust features and functionality. But with so many choices available, how do you know which is best for your organization?
Here are some features to look out for in incident reporting software:

Customized workflows

The first thing to look out for is a customizable workflow feature. This allows users to customize their workflows based on their internal processes. For example, if you want to report incidents and then get them reviewed by the respective managers before it reaches the safety department, you can create a workflow for this specific purpose.

Consolidated dashboards

Another essential feature is a consolidated safety dashboard that gives users access to all information in one place. This makes it easier to monitor all incidents at once instead of going through multiple tabs and windows to find what they need. The dashboards should provide instant updates about every new issue reported or resolved, its status and severity level, and easy-to-read visuals that give you an overview of your safety status at any given time.

Tools for analysis

If you want more than just basic reporting capabilities, consider an incident management system with additional tools designed specifically for analysis purposes. You can use such tools to analyze data from various sources and visualize it in a manner that makes sense to everyone.

Easy accessibility across all devices

You need a system that is simple to use and easy to access. That's why it's critical that you have incident reporting software that is accessible across all devices, including smartphones, desktops and tablets. This will ensure that all the team members can access the system at any time when they need to report an incident or check on the progress of the investigation.

Alerts and notifications

This is another feature that can help in improving the overall efficiency of the incident reporting software. Users can be notified whenever an incident has been reported by someone else or if there is an update on an existing incident.

Search capabilities

Users should be able to search for incidents based on various parameters such as date and time, location, type of incident, etc. so that they can easily find what they are looking for without having to browse through hundreds of reports manually every day.

Log Incidents without missing a beat with Safetymint Incident Reporting System

No more failed reports. No more forgetting details. No more wondering if the right people heard or reviewed your report.

Safetymint streamlines your incident reporting process and gets into the hands of key decision-makers. The best part? Safetymint's incident reporting and management software have a pre-created step-by-step approach to creating and managing a streamlined reporting workflow - allowing you to spend less on paperwork and more time focusing on your core tasks. The software manages the reporting process from start to finish, from initial alert through follow-up and close-out of the incident report.

Here are a few key things you can do with Safetymint's Incident Reporting Software:

• Save your team hours of work with the user-friendly incident reporting system
• Streamline incident follow-ups and resolutions
• Gain a better understanding of where incidents occur and how to take corrective actions
• Leverage the cloud-based platform to create, manage and access the reports on-the-go
• Create a simple safety library that employees can access to educate and keep themselves updated
• Create your own safety category list or edit the extensive list available in the software

• Customize your dashboards to get real-time updates on the incidents and have an overall view of the root causes, action steps, incident severity and more
• Conduct root cause analysis to identify common causes and potential hazards
• Integrate Safetymint with other third-party applications
• Automate workflows based on your organizational preferences
• Receive alerts through in-app notifications and emails