BADGE – Becoming a Digital Global Engineer
Intellectual Output
BADGE – Becoming a Digital Global Engineer
Project 2019-1-FR01-KA203-063010 (167 512 512)
Topic outline
Writing incident/accident reports - Objectives
After studying this lesson on writing incident/accident proposals, you will be able to
- identify what information is needed in this type of report;
- establish the style of writing required;
- describe in a neutral and factual way an incident / accident and the action taken as a result.
Warm-up questions
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Why are incident/accident reports written?
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Who are they prepared for?
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What information should an incident/accident report contain?
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Did you know…
Although the words ‘incident’ and ‘accident’ are often used interchangeably, there is a fundamental difference between them. An incident is a wider term and refers to any event that occurs, whether intentional or not. An accident, meanwhile, is an unexpected, unintentional event which can result in ill health, injury, death, or damage to property. We may also refer to a ‘near-miss’ which is an unplanned event that could have resulted in injury or harm but did not. It could, therefore, be considered an incident with the potential to become an accident in the future.
Reading
An incident / accident report documents the details of an incident or an accident a short time after the event. This kind of report is not written in order to apportion blame but so that such an incident / accident can be avoided or prevented in the future. Keeping a record of incidents or accidents can help employers to identify patterns of accidents and injuries, so that they can better manage risk in the workplace. In many countries, it is a legal requirement of an employer to report certain incidents / accidents to the relevant government department, usually one which deals with health and safety issues. Depending on the seriousness of the incident / accident and any resulting injuries or damage, this report may also be used for insurance claims, compensation claims and even lawsuits.
Incident / accident reports may be read by any number of people, including those involved in the event, as well as their employers, investigators, the police, lawyers, judges, etc. For this reason, the report needs to be accurate and keep to the facts. Indeed, to ensure accuracy, an incident / accident report should be written as soon as possible after the event. In addition, if more than one person is involved in the event, separate reports should be prepared for each affected person. This ensures that the report is written from the point of view of each individual and includes details specific to them such as medical information.
An incident / accident report includes a section which describes the event in detail. This is written in a narrative style and describes what lead up to the event and what exactly happened. This description may be from the perspective of the person affected or of an eyewitness. Besides this, the action taken after the event, or to be taken in the future, is recorded. This is usually written in an impersonal way, such as in the passive voice, eg: The employee was offered first-aid.
Finally, most companies use an incident / accident form for recording the event and this needs to be completed by the manager or supervisor on behalf of the employer. The form may vary slightly depending on the workplace or industry, but it should include most, if not all, of the sections shown in the example below.
- apportion blame – say who is responsible;
- compensation - money paid to someone who has suffered injury or loss;
- lawsuit – a case in a court of law concerning a disagreement between two people or organisations;
- narrative – in story form; recounting a series of connected events;
- (eye)witness - a person who was present at an event and can describe what happened .