WHS policies and procedures outline how to report incidents, injuries and near misses. Employers need to know about hazards and then they can take steps to eliminate them and avoid them re-occurring.
An incident includes any event that has caused or has the potential for injury, ill-health or damage. It can cause an observable injury, such as a sprain or abrasion; it can also be a less obvious outcome, such as a person being subjected to aggressive behaviour from a client.
A near miss occurs when something almost happens; for example, a person almost walks into a glass sliding door but someone stops them or a person trips but doesn’t fall. These incidents need to be reported as well.
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Identifying incidents and injuries
Incidents are categorised into groups based on the severity of the possible outcome.
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Select each bar to expand and reveal further information about each of these groups.
Reporting incidents and injuries
Incidents and injuries should be reported in the prescribed timeframe and in the way your organisation requires, often within 24 hours of an incident taking place.
Include the following details when reporting an incident or near miss:
- a detailed description of what happened
- the precise location of where the incident occurred
- when the incident took place
- who was involved, including witnesses
- whether first aid was provided and/or medical treatment sought.
Written incident reports and other records
Every incident report should be treated as a legal document and completed honestly and accurately.
This is an example of a workplace incident report.
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Report no: 121X |
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Surname: Treminner |
First name: Melina |
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Address: 37 Waylord Rd, Launceston, Tas. |
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Contact phone no: 0435 970 111 |
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Date of injury: 05/12/24 |
Time of injury: 7.30 am |
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Details of injury: Fractured right arm |
Bodily location of injury: Lower right arm |
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Description of the circumstances of the accident: In the staff kitchen I slipped on some liquid on the floor and landed heavily on my right arm. |
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Signature: M Treminner |
Date: 05/12/24 |
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Description of accident by witness: I turned around when Melina cried out. I saw that she was lying awkwardly on the floor on her right arm. I helped her up and we followed first-aid procedures for what we thought may be a broken arm. |
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Signature of witness: P Singh |
Date: 05/12/24 |
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Please print name: Purindhar Singh |
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When was the injury reported? |
Date: 05/12/24 |
Time: 7.50 am |
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Who was the injury reported to? |
Name: Ghazi Radich |
Position: Unit Supervisor |
Apply your skills
Download this Workplace incident report form template.
Complete your own incident form using the template provided. You could make up an incident or use information from something that has happened to you or someone you know.
Reporting injuries to statutory agencies
An accurate account of an incident is critical when there is a notifiable incident. These are incidents where an investigation by a WHS regulator will take place, and the report is often used in court proceedings.
It is a legal obligation for employers or self-employed persons to report any work-related injury, illness or dangerous incident as soon as possible to their state or territory WHS regulator. Under the WHS Act, the regulator must be notified immediately of a ‘notifiable incident’ and the incident site must be preserved until an inspector arrives for investigation or directs otherwise.
A notifiable incident, as outlined in the WHS Act, is any of the following:
- the death of a person
- a serious injury or illness
- a dangerous incident.
Read to learn more
To learn more about incident notifications and notifiable incidents, read Safe Work Australia’s Incident Notification fact sheet.
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Select each bar to expand and reveal information about the incident reporting process.
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