Four Keys to a Successful Incident Report

At every construction worksite, it is vital to report any injuries, near misses, and accidents. Incident report forms are used to document any event that could cause injury to your team, as well as capture details on safety hazards, security issues, and damage to equipment or property. 

As an important part of any safety program, an incident report form should state all the essential information about an event or issue. It should include the following key components to ensure all necessary details are collected and properly documented.

1. Accurate Data

All data collected on an incident report must be easy-to-understand and specific. Having clear and accurate information ensures that the proper corrective action can be efficiently implemented to keep your crew safe.

This means making sure that the correct details are captured as each report is completed, including worksite location, date and time of the incident, contact details, and more. Using digital forms with established checklists and worker information can reduce most potential inaccuracies from the process. Plus, it means your safety manager doesn’t have to decipher handwritten reports as they arrive.

2. Complete Details

It is important that all essential questions are covered in the incident report. Basic details such as incident location, hazard type, and if anyone was injured are all necessary, but you should also include contact information for workers who witnessed the incident and if a police report was required. 

These comprehensive details will help the safety manager take any future investigation steps without wasting time trying to track down further information.

3. Supporting Images

Photos, blueprints, and diagrams should be included as supplemental materials for incident reports. Making sure to take photos of any injury or damage, as well as capturing images of the surrounding environment, provides more clarity and detail to those who need to review any incident reports.

4. Signatures and Validation

After completing any report, those who are involved in the incident should sign to validate all of the included information. In most cases, this will be the crew member who witnessed the incident, as well as the supervisor on duty. It is important to capture these signatures for liability purposes and for accountability as the safety manager takes corrective action.

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Looking for a safety solution that includes the key components for incident reports? GoCanvas Safety includes pre-built digital forms so you can collect accurate and complete information for every incident. Built-in photo and signature capture means that you get the vital details every time, so you can focus on taking the appropriate actions to keep your team safe. Learn more here.