🚨 Incident Reporting Playbook
Document injuries, near-misses, and property damage quickly and thoroughly. Proper documentation protects your workers, your company, and helps prevent the next incident.
Why Reporting Matters
| Without Proper Reporting | With Proper Reporting |
|---|---|
| OSHA penalties ($16,000+ per violation) | Compliance with recordkeeping requirements |
| No defense in lawsuits | Documented evidence of your response |
| Same incidents keep repeating | Root cause analysis prevents recurrence |
| Workers don't report near-misses | Culture of reporting catches hazards early |
| Insurance claims disputed | Clean documentation supports claims |
Report Everything
The incidents you don't report are the ones that hurt you. A near-miss today is a fatality tomorrow. A $0 near-miss report costs nothing. A $500,000 wrongful death lawsuit starts with an unreported pattern.
What to Report
| Category | Examples | Reporting Timeframe |
|---|---|---|
| Fatality | Any work-related death | Immediately — OSHA within 8 hours |
| Hospitalization | Inpatient admission | Immediately — OSHA within 24 hours |
| Amputation | Loss of any body part | Immediately — OSHA within 24 hours |
| Loss of eye | Any eye loss | Immediately — OSHA within 24 hours |
| Recordable injury | Medical treatment beyond first aid, lost time, restricted duty | Same day — OSHA 300 log within 7 days |
| First aid injury | Minor cuts, bruises, splinters | Same day — internal documentation |
| Near-miss | Event that could have caused injury but didn't | Same shift — internal report |
| Property damage | Equipment damage, vehicle accidents, structural damage | Same day — internal report |
| Environmental | Spills, releases, contamination | Immediately — regulatory reporting may apply |
| Third-party injury | Public or other contractor injured | Immediately — full investigation |
Roles and Responsibilities
| Role | Responsibilities |
|---|---|
| Witness / Injured Worker | Report immediately to supervisor, provide statement, participate in investigation |
| Foreman / Supervisor | Secure scene, render aid, call 911 if needed, notify superintendent, begin documentation within 1 hour |
| Superintendent | Notify safety director and PM, ensure scene is preserved, coordinate investigation |
| Safety Director | Lead investigation, OSHA notifications (if required), root cause analysis, corrective actions |
| Project Manager | Notify owner/GC (per contract), insurance carrier, legal counsel (if serious) |
| HR / Admin | Workers' comp filing, modified duty coordination, OSHA 300 log entry |
Step-by-Step Process
Phase 1: Immediate Response (First 15 Minutes)
Priority order — safety first:
- Render first aid — Stop bleeding, stabilize injuries, call 911 for serious injuries
- Secure the scene — Prevent additional injuries, barricade hazard area
- Account for all workers — Is anyone missing or trapped?
- Notify supervisor — Foreman notifies superintendent immediately
- Do NOT disturb the scene — Preserve evidence (unless necessary for rescue or to prevent further injury)
Fatality or Catastrophe
For any fatality or hospitalization of 3+ workers:
- Call 911 immediately
- Secure the scene — do not move anything
- Notify Safety Director and company leadership
- OSHA must be notified within 8 hours (fatality) or 24 hours (hospitalization, amputation, eye loss)
- Call OSHA at 1-800-321-OSHA (6742) or report online
Phase 2: Scene Documentation (First 1–2 Hours)
Document everything while details are fresh:
Photos (take 20+ — you can't take too many):
- Wide shots showing the overall scene and surroundings
- Medium shots showing the specific area/equipment involved
- Close-ups of the hazard, damage, or failure point
- Measurements (put a tape measure in frame for scale)
- Equipment nameplates, serial numbers, inspection tags
- Warning signs, labels, or safety devices present (or absent)
- Weather and ground conditions
- PPE that was (or wasn't) being worn
Witness statements:
- Get written statements from every witness — individually, not in a group
- Ask: What did you see? What did you hear? What were you doing at the time?
- Record statements word-for-word — don't paraphrase or "clean up" language
- Have each witness sign and date their statement
- Collect names and contact info for all witnesses
Physical evidence:
- Preserve failed equipment, broken tools, damaged PPE
- Do not repair or clean up until investigation is complete
- Tag and secure evidence if needed
Phase 3: Notification (Within 2–4 Hours)
| Who to Notify | When | How |
|---|---|---|
| Company safety director | Immediately | Phone call |
| Company leadership | Within 1 hour (serious) | Phone call |
| OSHA (fatality) | Within 8 hours | Phone: 1-800-321-6742 or online |
| OSHA (hospitalization/amputation/eye loss) | Within 24 hours | Phone: 1-800-321-6742 or online |
| GC / Owner (per contract) | Per contract requirements | Written notice per contract |
| Insurance carrier | Same day (serious) | Phone + written follow-up |
| Legal counsel | Immediately (fatality/serious) | Phone call |
Phase 4: Formal Incident Report (Within 24 Hours)
Complete the incident report form with:
| Section | Details to Include |
|---|---|
| Basics | Date, time, location, weather, shift |
| People involved | Injured worker(s), witnesses, supervisor on duty |
| Description | Factual narrative of what happened — chronological, specific, no opinions |
| Injury details | Body part, nature of injury, treatment provided, transported to where |
| Equipment | Equipment involved, condition, last inspection date |
| Contributing factors | What conditions or actions contributed to the incident |
| Immediate actions taken | First aid, scene secured, notifications made |
| Photos | All photos attached and labeled |
| Witness statements | All written statements attached |
What NOT to Write
- Do NOT admit fault or assign blame in the report
- Do NOT include opinions — stick to facts
- Do NOT speculate about cause — that comes in the investigation
- Do NOT include medical diagnoses — only what was observed
- Do write: "Worker fell approximately 8 feet from scaffold platform to ground level"
- Do NOT write: "Worker fell because he wasn't paying attention"
Phase 5: Investigation (Within 48–72 Hours)
Investigation Team
| Incident Severity | Investigation Lead | Team Members |
|---|---|---|
| Near-miss | Foreman | 1–2 workers familiar with the task |
| First aid / minor injury | Superintendent | Foreman + 1–2 workers |
| Recordable injury | Safety Director | Superintendent + foreman + workers + (optional) 3rd party |
| Serious injury / fatality | Safety Director + legal | Full team + 3rd party investigator |
Root Cause Analysis
Don't stop at the obvious cause. Use the 5 Whys technique:
Example — Worker fell from scaffold:
| Why # | Question | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Why did the worker fall? | The guardrail was missing on one side of the scaffold |
| 2 | Why was the guardrail missing? | It was removed to hoist materials and never replaced |
| 3 | Why wasn't it replaced? | No one was assigned to replace it after the hoist |
| 4 | Why wasn't someone assigned? | The JHA didn't include guardrail removal/replacement as a step |
| 5 | Why didn't the JHA include it? | The JHA was a copy from a previous project and wasn't customized |
Root cause: Inadequate JHA — generic copy not customized for actual work sequence.
Corrective action: Update the scaffold JHA to include guardrail removal/replacement steps with assigned responsible person. Audit all active JHAs for customization.
Contributing Factor Categories
Review each category during investigation:
- Training — Was the worker trained? When? Was it adequate?
- Procedures — Did a JHA/procedure exist? Was it followed?
- Equipment — Was equipment in good condition? Properly inspected?
- Environment — Weather, lighting, housekeeping, noise?
- PPE — Was proper PPE available, worn, and in good condition?
- Supervision — Was adequate supervision present?
- Communication — Were hazards communicated? Was the pre-task meeting held?
- Design — Could the hazard have been engineered out?
- Fatigue/Fitness — Hours worked, heat stress, impairment?
- Culture — Did workers feel safe to report hazards or stop work?
Phase 6: Corrective Actions
For every root cause, develop specific corrective actions:
| Action Type | Timeline | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Immediate | Same day | Barricade the area, stop similar work, inspect all similar conditions |
| Short-term | Within 1 week | Retrain affected crew, update JHA, add controls |
| Long-term | Within 30 days | Revise company procedure, implement engineering control, change equipment |
Every corrective action must have:
- Specific description of what will be done
- Person responsible
- Due date
- Verification method (how you'll confirm it was done)
Phase 7: Communication and Close-Out
- Share lessons learned — Toolbox talk on the incident (anonymized if needed)
- Update JHAs — Revise any JHAs related to the task
- Update safety program — Revise procedures if the investigation reveals gaps
- Track corrective actions — Verify all actions are completed by due date
- Close the report — Safety Director signs off when all actions are verified
- OSHA 300 log — Enter recordable injuries within 7 calendar days
Near-Miss Reporting
Near-misses are free lessons — they show you where the next injury will happen without anyone getting hurt.
Building a Near-Miss Culture
| What Kills Reporting | What Encourages Reporting |
|---|---|
| Punishing the reporter | Thanking the reporter publicly |
| "That's just how it is" attitude | Fixing the hazard quickly (visible response) |
| Complicated reporting forms | Simple 1-minute reporting (verbal is OK) |
| No follow-up or response | Sharing the fix with the whole crew |
| Only supervisors report | Everyone reports — no rank required |
Simple Near-Miss Process
- Worker reports — Tell the foreman verbally or submit a quick form
- Foreman documents — Brief written record (who, what, where, when)
- Immediate action — Fix the hazard or control it now
- Share the lesson — Mention it at the next toolbox talk
- Track the trend — Safety director reviews all near-misses monthly for patterns
OSHA Recordkeeping Quick Reference
OSHA 300 Log — What Goes On It
Record if the injury/illness results in:
- Death
- Days away from work
- Restricted work or job transfer
- Medical treatment beyond first aid
- Loss of consciousness
- Significant injury/illness diagnosed by a physician (cancer, fracture, punctured eardrum)
What is "First Aid" (Does NOT Go on 300 Log)
- Non-prescription medications at non-prescription strength
- Tetanus immunizations
- Cleaning, flushing, or soaking wounds
- Wound coverings (bandages, butterfly bandages, Steri-Strips)
- Hot or cold therapy
- Non-rigid means of support (elastic bandages, wraps)
- Temporary immobilization during transport
- Drilling a fingernail to relieve pressure
- Eye patches
- Removing foreign bodies from eye with irrigation or cotton swab
- Removing splinters with tweezers
- Finger guards
- Massages
- Drinking fluids for heat stress
Metrics and Tracking
| Metric | Target | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Incident report completion (within 24 hrs) | 100% | Per incident |
| Investigation completion (within 72 hrs) | 100% | Per incident |
| Corrective action completion (by due date) | 100% | Monthly review |
| Near-miss reports submitted | Increasing trend | Monthly |
| OSHA Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR) | Below industry average | Quarterly |
| Days Away, Restricted, Transfer (DART) rate | Below industry average | Quarterly |
| OSHA 300 log accuracy | 100% | Annual audit |
Related Resources
| Resource | Link |
|---|---|
| Incident Report Generator | Generate Report |
| Incident Reporting Guide | Full Guide |
| Safety Compliance Guide | Compliance Guide |
| OSHA Recordkeeping Guide | OSHA Recordkeeping |
| JSA/JHA Playbook | JSA/JHA Process |