How to Write an Incident Report

What is an incident report?

An incident report is a factual, written account of an unplanned workplace event, recording what happened, where and when it occurred, who was involved and what action was taken. It captures what is known at the time and leaves conclusions to the investigation that follows.

The scope is broader than injuries. Illnesses, near misses, property damage, hazards found before anyone is harmed, security breaches and psychosocial incidents such as aggression or bullying all belong in the same system.

A report drives the immediate response, supports any workers' compensation claim or regulator enquiry, and forms part of how a PCBU meets its employer duty of care.

What should an incident report include?

Every incident report should capture the same core fields: when and where it happened, who was involved, a factual description of events, the injury or damage caused, the immediate response, and the follow-up required.

Specificity is what makes the record useful six months later. "The forklift" becomes "Forklift FL-07". Recording conditions at the time also separates the hazard from the risk it created, a distinction covered in our guide to the difference between hazards and risks.

How to write an incident report, step by step

Write an incident report in five steps: make the area safe, gather the facts, describe the sequence objectively, record the outcome and response, then review and submit before the end of shift.

1. Make the area safe and get help

Provide first aid, isolate equipment or cordon the area, and call emergency services where needed. Preserve the scene where a regulator may need to inspect it.

2. Gather the facts while they are fresh

Collect names, roles and contact details for everyone involved and every witness. Note the exact time, precise location, task underway and conditions.

3. Describe what happened, in order

Write the sequence the way a camera would record it. "The operator reached for a fixing, the spanner slipped from her grip, and it fell approximately four metres to the walkway below."

4. Record the outcome and the response

Note the body part, the nature of the injury and any first aid given. For psychological injuries at work, record the impact in the worker's own words.

5. Review, sign and submit

Check names, dates and spelling. Give the affected person a chance to review the account, then send it to your supervisor or WHS contact.

What does a well-written incident report look like?

A well-written incident report describes observable facts in sequence, names people and equipment precisely, and records conditions rather than character. The test is whether someone who was not there could picture the event accurately.

Each stronger entry gives a manager something to act on: a weight, an asset number, a time of day, a behaviour.

How do you report a psychosocial incident?

Report a psychosocial incident through the same system as a physical one, recording the behaviour observed, who was present, the impact the worker described and the support offered. Aggression, bullying, sexual harassment and exposure to distressing events are all reportable.

These incidents rarely leave physical evidence, so the written record carries the weight. Capture:

• Behaviour. What was said or done, in factual terms, with time and place
• Exposure. Who was involved, who witnessed it, how long it continued
• Impact. How the worker described the effect, in their own words
• Response. Support offered, duties adjusted, escalation taken and by whom

Workers will not always put their name to a report about a manager or a colleague. Our guides on how to report psychosocial hazards and why anonymous reporting matters cover channel design in detail.

When do you have to notify the regulator?

You must notify your WHS regulator immediately after becoming aware of a notifiable incident, which covers a death, a serious injury or illness, or a dangerous incident.

Notification is a phone call first, followed by written notice. Preserve the site until an inspector advises otherwise, where it is safe to do so. Definitions and timeframes vary, so check what counts as a notifiable incident and the psychosocial hazards legislation by state.

What happens after the report is submitted?

Once submitted, the report should be acknowledged, triaged for severity, investigated for root cause, and closed out with a named owner and a due date for every corrective action.

A working close-out process covers four stages:

• Acknowledgement. The reporter hears back, usually within one business day
• Triage. Severity assessed, regulator notification decided, support offered
• Investigation. Root cause examined, contributing conditions identified
• Close-out. Action assigned, due date set, completion verified

Review reports as a set each month or quarter. Three minor slips near the same bay point to drainage or cleaning. For serious events, your plan should also cover debriefing and support, covered in how to respond to a critical incident.

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FAQs

Who should write the incident report?

The supervisor or manager responsible for the area usually writes the report, with input from the people involved and any witnesses. In many systems the affected worker submits the initial report themselves. The person involved should always review the final account before sign-off.

What is the difference between an incident report and a hazard report?

A hazard report flags a condition that could cause harm. An incident report records an event that has already occurred. A frayed cable found during an inspection is a hazard report. The same cable causing a shock is an incident report. Both feed the same risk register.

Can an incident report be anonymous?

Yes. Many organisations run an anonymous channel alongside their named reporting process, particularly for bullying, harassment and other psychosocial concerns. Anonymous reports limit how far an investigation can go, since follow-up questions are harder to ask. They still surface patterns that would otherwise go unrecorded.

How soon should an incident report be submitted?

Submit during the same shift, and immediately for serious events. Recollections blur within hours, scenes get cleaned up and witnesses leave site. Notifiable incidents carry a separate legal duty to contact the regulator immediately, which sits on top of your internal timeframe.

How long do you have to keep incident reports in Australia?

Keep WHS incident records for at least five years as a general rule, and longer for serious incidents or where a claim may follow. Some records, including health monitoring for certain substances, carry much longer retention periods. Check the requirement for your industry.

Can an incident report be changed after it is submitted?

Corrections are acceptable when they are transparent. Add an amendment with the date, the author and the reason rather than editing the original entry. Silent changes damage the credibility of the record if a regulator, insurer or court ever examines it.

Foremind helps Australian organisations report, track and act on the incidents that affect their people, including the psychosocial ones that often go unrecorded. Learn more about Foremind.

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