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August 17, 2017

How to Write a Good Accident or Incident Report

Jack Benton from EHS Safety News America shares with us the key elements in writing a good and informative accident or incident report.

An incident report needs to include all the essential information about the accident or near-miss. The report-writing process begins with fact finding and ends with recommendations for preventing future accidents.

You may use a special incident reporting form, and it might be quite extensive. But writing any incident report involves four basic steps, and those are the focus of today’s post.

1. Find the Facts

To prepare for writing an accident report, you have to gather and record all the facts. For example:

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2. Determine the Sequence

Based on the facts, you should be able to determine the sequence of events. In your report, describe this sequence in detail, including:

The incident should be described on the report in sufficient detail that any reader can clearly picture what happened. You might consider creating a diagram to show, in a simple and visually effective manner, the sequence of events related to the incident and include this in your incident report. You might also wish to include photos of the accident scene, which may help readers follow the sequence of events.

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3. Analyze

Your report should include an in-depth analysis of the causes of the accident. Causes include:

4. Recommend

Recommendations for corrective action might include immediate corrective action as well as long-term corrective actions such as:

This article was written by Jack Benton of EHS Safety News America

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Need help with your safety training? The following training blogs and titles are available to help with workplace safety incidents:

How to Write an Incident Report in 5 Easy Steps

OSHA Recordkeeping for Employees

OSHA Recordkeeping for Managers and Supervisors

Safety Audits

Accident Investigation

Get safety training mentioned in this article below:

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Slips, Trips, and Falls

Safety Housekeeping and Accident Prevention

HAZCOM (GHS)

Safety Orientation 

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