Report an incident and preserve the facts

What you should be able to do

A useful incident report separates what happened, what you observed and what remains unknown. First follow the site's response procedure and obtain appropriate help.

Safety Comes First

Do not delay emergency notification or necessary action to prevent further harm while taking photographs or writing notes. Stay within your training and assigned role. Preservation of a scene never means leaving people exposed to danger.

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Worked through

During a cable-labeling task, a small support bracket falls nearby. The apprentice hears the impact, turns and sees the bracket on the floor. No injury is apparent to the apprentice. A careful report distinguishes the sound heard from what was seen afterward: "While labeling cables at the north worktable, I heard an impact. When I turned, I saw a bracket on the floor beside the table. I did not see it detach." An unsupported version would be: "The installer used the wrong fastener." The apprentice did not observe that and has not established it.

Preserve Uncertainty

If the time is approximate, label it approximate. If someone else supplies information, identify it as their statement. If you correct a note, retain the original and the correction according to the site process rather than silently rewriting the history. Do not publish incident images or personal details. Give information to the responsible people through the authorized channel.

Paper Practice

Write four short fields for the fictional example: Location. Task underway. First-hand observation. Action taken and person notified. Then add one sentence stating what you do not know. Model unknown: "I did not observe the attachment condition before the bracket fell."

Check Yourself

Where beginners go wrong

Quick Recap

Respond and notify. Record observations accurately. Preserve information safely. Hand it over without inventing a cause.

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