Streamline Your Incident Reporting Process with Free Downloadable Templates
When workplace incidents occur, having a reliable method to report and document them is essential. One highly effective tool for managing employee incidents is an incident report template.
In this article, you will find free, downloadable incident report templates. We’ve also provided answers to common questions regarding incident reports, and recommendations for a more efficient incident reporting process.
Incident Report Template
Collect workplace incident information with this free employee incident report template. Here, employees can record incident details, conditions or factors that may have contributed to the incident, witness information, and more.
Download your free, printable incident report form here. Available in Word, PDF, Google Docs, Excel, and Google Sheets.
Near Miss Reporting Form
Provide employees with an easy-to-fill-in near miss reporting form. This form allows employees to record the details of near misses in the workplace, along with witness information.
Download, customize, and distribute this near miss reporting form to employees. Choose from Word, PDF, Google Docs, Excel, and Google Sheets formats.
Employee Report of Injury Form
This employee injury report form lets employees record information related to injuries sustained in the workplace. It also includes space for employees to fill in details related to medical care or treatment for their injuries, and what could have been done to prevent their injury.
Download and print for free. Available in Word, PDF, Google Docs, Excel, and Google Sheets.
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Try For FreeTop Questions About Incident Reports
- What is an incident report, and why is it important?
- What types of incidents should be reported?
- Who should be responsible for reporting incidents?
- How do I report an incident?
- What information should be included in an incident report?
- How is the information in an incident report used?
- What are the consequences of not reporting an incident?
- Who has access to incident reports, and how is confidentiality maintained?
- How do incident reports differ in different industries (e.g., healthcare, construction, manufacturing)?
- What are some best practices for incident reporting and incident management?
What is an incident report, and why is it important?
Incident reports are forms that employees fill out to report the details of workplace incidents. These forms are most commonly used to keep record of property damage, near misses, or bodily injuries.
Incident reports are important for many reasons. For starters, they help employers assess the severity of damage caused to property, current safety hazards in the workplace, and the seriousness of an employee’s injury. The information recorded on these reports can then be used to improve safety measures, or as reference during legal proceedings or workers compensation claims.
Incident reports not only assist managers in monitoring workplace events and hazards, but they also benefit employees. When employees understand their obligation to report incidents, they tend to be more careful while performing their duties, which can lead to a safer work environment for all. Furthermore, with good reporting, employees can demonstrate their commitment to safety, which can result in better performance reviews and overall job satisfaction.
What types of incidents should be reported?
Depending on a company’s policies, the rules around reporting incidents are likely to be different. Some businesses only record incidents where property was damaged, or an employee was injured. Other companies may require additional reporting for things like near misses, which are narrowly avoided workplace incidents.
In general, it’s best to record all workplace incidents and near misses. When even minor incidents or hazards go unreported, other issues are likely to occur down the road. By having employees record any and all unfavorable workplace events, employers can quickly correct issues and better manage workplace risks.
Who should be responsible for reporting incidents?
Several parties are responsible for reporting workplace incidents. First, employees are often required by their employers to report any accidents or events in the workplace. Second, employers also have reporting requirements for certain incidents.
Businesses operating in the U.S. must follow federal and state occupational health and safety laws. As per OSHA’s reporting guidelines, employers must report all accidents that lead to hospitalization, amputation, loss of an eye, or death. Employers are also required to keep a record of these incidents for a period of 5 years.
How do I report an incident?
Employers and employees both bear the responsibility of properly reporting workplace incidents. Employers must provide a method for employees to use for incident reporting, as well as keeping record of incidents and reporting them to the appropriate parties when required. Employees must report incidents in a time frame specified by their employer using the methods provided.
Some methods for reporting incidents include the use of incident report forms like the ones provided in this article, verbal reports, and mobile reports. Written reports can be useful in certain situations, however they are more susceptible to reporting delays and being misplaced. Similarly, verbal reports may be misinterpreted and can lead to headaches if future reference of the incident is required.
Mobile reporting on the other hand, makes the incident reporting process simple. Workforce management apps that allow for mobile incident reporting let employees report incidents and near misses as soon as they occur, right from their mobile device. In addition to making the process easier for employees, mobile incident reporting makes record keeping straightforward, allowing employers to maintain a secure digital log of all workplace incidents.
What information should be included in an incident report?
When an incident occurs, it’s essential that employers receive as much information as possible, as soon as possible. Knowing all of the details of an incident can help with issuing disciplinary action, having the required information for legal proceedings, and more.
Some key information that should be included in an incident report includes:
Employee Information: The name of the employee involved in the incident, their job title, and any contact information.
Incident Information: A detailed account of the events that took place leading to the filing of an incident report. This includes the date and time, location, and a full description of the incident.
Witness Information: The names and contact information of any parties who were present at the time of the incident.
Corrective Measures To Be Taken: The actions an employee can take, or adjustments to a work setting that can help future incidents of the same nature be avoided.
Signatures: The signatures of the employee involved and a supervisor or manager. This helps ensure all parties have acknowledged the incident report.
How is the information in an incident report used?
The information collected in an incident report can be used in several ways. First, this information helps employers maintain a safe and comfortable work environment by correcting issues as they are reported. Second, incident report information can aid in identifying training needs for employees. Third, this information can be used as evidence in legal cases or workers compensation in the case of an employee injury.
What are the consequences of not reporting an incident?
Failure to properly report incidents often leads to problems for employers and employees. That’s why it’s essential for employers to fulfill their duty of providing a straightforward incident reporting process.
Failure to report workplace incidents can lead to:
- Future incidents reoccurring
- Lost trust from employees
- Complications filing for workers compensation
- Fines or penalties to the business
Who has access to incident reports, and how is confidentiality maintained?
Incident reports should only be accessible by those who require the information on them. This includes managers, the employee(s) involved in the incident, potential witnesses, legal teams, or occupational health and safety administrators.
If incident reports fall into the wrong hands, they run the risk of being tampered with or being misplaced. What’s more, unsecured incident reports can lead to breaches of confidentiality, which more often than not results in reputational damage or financial penalties.
To keep incident reports secure and confidential, employers must take the correct security measures. For traditional reports, employers can keep incident report forms in a locked filing cabinet. For digital incident reports, employers can utilize secure workforce management apps that only allow access from authorized parties.
How do incident reports differ in different industries (e.g., healthcare, construction, manufacturing)?
Although different in some aspects, incident reporting largely follows a similar process across all industries. The nature of these incidents, their severity, and how often they occur, however, differ greatly.
In the healthcare industry where quality and safety are top priorities, incident reports are a normal part of the job. Common healthcare incidents include medical errors, patient or employee injuries, or hazards such as worn out equipment. As these incidents occur frequently, and often in one location such as a hospital, online or manual reporting may be used.
Businesses in the manufacturing industry are also no stranger to workplace incidents. In fact, they rank high on the list of industries with the most workplace injuries. As such, these businesses require efficient and effective incident reporting processes. Large-scale manufacturers with ample office personnel may choose to utilize standard paper incident forms, or verbal reports.
In the construction industry, workers are often faced with hazards at work. However, thanks to decades of incident reporting, safety measures have, and continue to improve year after year. That being said, effective reporting requires a little more attention in the construction industry.
As construction workers are constantly on the move, often traveling to and from job sites with no offices available, manual incident report forms are not practical. There are, however, other solutions. One being mobile incident reporting.
Mobile reporting allows employees to report incidents from anywhere, without having to travel to and from a main office to fill out a form. Additionally, this method of incident reporting lets employees share more detail, with photo and location sharing capabilities.
What are some best practices for incident reporting and incident management?
Following best practices for incident reporting and management can significantly benefit organizations and their employees. These benefits include improved safety, better efficiency, and reduced costs associated with workplace incidents.
Best practices for incident reporting and management include:
- Providing clear reporting instructions to employees
- Investigating incidents as thoroughly as possible
- Utilizing the information collected on incident reports to enhance workplace safety
- Utilizing a reporting process that makes sense for your organization, whether manual or digital
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