Purpose and Scope
This procedure sets out how to respond to, record, investigate, and report workplace accidents, incidents, and near misses at [Organisation Name].
It applies to all employees, contractors, visitors, and members of the public affected by work operations at [Site/Location Name].
Working through related paperwork at the same time? See also our OSHA Injury Reporting & Recordkeeping Procedure Template, NY Retail Worker Safety Act Policy Template and Emergency Action Plan Template.
Definitions
- Accident: An unplanned event that causes physical injury or ill health.
- Incident: An unplanned event that damages property, equipment, or the environment without causing personal injury.
- Near Miss: An unplanned event that could have caused injury, ill health, or damage, but did not.
- Dangerous Occurrence: A specific category of serious, reportable incident defined under safety regulations that requires formal notification whether an injury occurred or not.
- Work-Related Ill Health: Medical conditions caused or worsened by work activities, including designated occupational diseases.
Roles and Responsibilities
- All Staff: Report every accident, incident, and near miss to the [Duty Manager] before the end of the shift in which it occurred.
- [Duty Manager]: Secure the incident area, arrange first aid or medical care, start the incident log, and preserve the scene for serious events.
- [Responsible Manager]: Assess whether an event meets statutory reporting criteria under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR), submit required external notifications, and oversee investigations.
- [Senior Manager/Owner]: Review incident and near-miss trends at [Frequency] and ensure teams fully implement and close out corrective actions.
Immediate Response
- Make the area safe. Isolate equipment or cordon off hazards to ensure no one else is put at risk.
- Arrange immediate medical care. Contact a trained workplace first aider at [First Aid Location], or call emergency services (999/112) for severe injuries.
- Notify the [Duty Manager] immediately.
- Preserve the scene for serious incidents. Leave equipment, vehicles, and materials untouched unless moving them is necessary to rescue casualties or clear immediate danger.
- Identify witnesses and record their full names and contact details before they leave the site.
Recording Procedure
- Log the entry in the official [Accident Book / Recording System] before the end of the shift. The injured person should complete this entry if possible; otherwise, the [Duty Manager] must do it.
- Record all relevant facts: names of people involved, date, time, exact location, sequence of events, nature of injury or damage, treatment given, and witness details.
- Log all near misses in the designated [Form / System] to the same standard.
- Verify the entry on the day of the event for factual accuracy and completeness. Stick strictly to facts. Do not include speculation or statements of blame.
- Send the completed entry to the [Responsible Manager] within [Timeframe, e.g., 24 hours] to evaluate statutory reporting obligations.
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Statutory Reporting (RIDDOR)
The [Responsible Manager] must determine if the event is reportable under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) using current Health and Safety Executive (HSE) guidance. Submit reports through the official online reporting portal and keep copies at [Storage Location].
Statutory reporting criteria and timelines:
- Deaths and Specified Injuries: Report without delay.
- Over-Seven-Day Injuries: Report within 15 days of the accident if an incident prevents a worker from performing their normal duties for more than seven consecutive days.
- Occupational Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences: Report in accordance with specific statutory categories and schedules.
- If reportability is unclear, the [Responsible Manager] must review regulatory guidance or seek competent advice on the day of the incident to avoid missing mandatory deadlines.
Incident Investigation
- Set the scope of the investigation based on the event’s actual severity and potential consequences.
- Gather evidence immediately. Collect witness statements, photos, CCTV footage, training logs, and equipment maintenance records.
- Identify the immediate physical cause and the underlying root cause linked to system or management control failures.
- Review and update the applicable risk assessment before allowing the work activity to resume.
- Assign formal corrective actions with named owners and target completion dates. Track every action through to completion.
- Share relevant findings and safety lessons across the organisation via [Meeting / Communication Channel].
Records and Data Protection
- Incident records contain confidential personal and health information. Store them securely in [System / File Location].
- Restrict access strictly to authorized roles, including [Roles].
- Retain accident records, statutory submissions, investigation reports, and corrective action logs for [Retention Period] in line with data protection rules and company policy.
Review and Monitoring
- Review this procedure [Frequency, e.g., Annually], after any statutorily reportable incident, or whenever personnel, reporting systems, or workplace regulations change.
- The [Responsible Manager] compiles incident and near-miss trend analyses at [Frequency] to present to [Senior Manager / Safety Committee].
- Next scheduled review date: [Date].
FAQs on an accident and incident reporting procedure
What is an accident and incident reporting procedure?
An accident and incident reporting procedure sets out how to respond to, record, investigate, and report workplace accidents, incidents, and near misses at your organisation.
Having it written down means the same rules apply to everyone, so managers are not making judgement calls case by case under pressure.
What does an accident and incident reporting procedure include?
This template covers immediate response, recording procedure, statutory reporting (riddor) and incident investigation.
Every section is written to be filled in. The bracketed placeholders mark the decisions that are yours to make, such as timescales, approval owners and retention periods.
How to implement an accident and incident reporting procedure with Whale
Copy this template into Whale and work through the bracketed placeholders so it reflects how your organisation actually operates.
Assign it to the teams it applies to so it sits where people work rather than in a shared drive, and set a review date so it gets revisited on schedule instead of quietly going out of date.
Use our templates to fast-track your documentation
Customize this template and 100s of others for free in Whale, the fastest way to get your team aligned.