Ehstoday 9902 Gettyimages 969510524
Ehstoday 9902 Gettyimages 969510524
Ehstoday 9902 Gettyimages 969510524
Ehstoday 9902 Gettyimages 969510524
Ehstoday 9902 Gettyimages 969510524

Why Reporting All Incidents Matters

March 15, 2019
Employers should have open communication channels for reporting incidents.

The concept of incident reporting has been around for quite some time now. Though it was designed to improve safety in the workplace, there are still a number of reasons employees refuse to comply avoid this. Management and frontline workers need to understand why reporting an incident makes a big difference in the safety, efficiency and overall well-being of the organization and its members. 

Awareness of threats

Reporting incidents is essential since it raises the organization’s awareness about the things that can go wrong so that corrective and preventative actions can be taken promptly. This applies to industries involving manual labor, manufacturing with heavy machinery, office work, and many others. Without the communication channel provided by incident reporting protocols, a variety of threats to safety could go unnoticed and unresolved.

Threats such as:

  • Faulty or malfunctioning machinery/equipment
  • Improper behavior (sexual harassment, bullying, showing up to work under the influence of alcohol or banned substances, etc)
  • Lack of safety equipment, training, and controls

Encourages improvement

Incident reports are thinly-veiled questions about what the workplace is lacking. Often, seemingly minor incidents are symptoms of a much bigger problem. Such reports provide valuable, real-life data to management who can use it to assess whether additional training, better equipment, and/or new strategies are needed for the organization to level up.

Inspires urgency   

Simply mentioning something unusual that happened at work doesn’t exactly give it an air of seriousness and urgency. An incident report is a legal document that prompts organizations to take immediate action for resolution. When writing incident reports, get as many witness testimonies as possible to support its legitimacy and ensure that something is done to prevent future recurrence.

It is crucial that incidents are reported immediately or at least within the day of its occurrence, regardless of its severity. An incident report form is used to gather the details of an incident for formal documentation and investigation. Incident reporting doesn’t only benefit an organization by improving safety. It’s a vehicle for all-encompassing growth and improvement.

Sponsored Recommendations

3 Essential Elements for a Strong Safety Culture

March 13, 2024
Organizations globally have increased their attention on safety culture: trying to figure out what it really is and the aspects that are necessary to develop and sustain it. And...

Making the Case for Occupational Health Software

March 13, 2024
Deciding to invest in Occupational Health (OH) software can be a challenging leap for many organizations. This article will equip businesses with insightful strategies for effectively...

Fighting the Flu: Solutions for the Workplace

March 13, 2024
Seasonal flu continues to wreak considerable havoc both on individual wellness, as well as on our business continuity and productivity. Explore these solutions for protecting ...

Preventing SIFs with Digitization: Reduce Serious Injuries and Fatalities with Technology

March 13, 2024
This eBook discusses the origins of SIF prevention, outlines principles, models and tools available to EHS leaders to better detect and address SIF potential in their business...

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of EHS Today, create an account today!