Why Incident Reporting is Vital to Safety in the Workplace

Have you ever witnessed an incident occur in your workplace, such as an employee or customer being injured or equipment being damaged? Was the incident you witnessed reported after it occurred? Many employees don’t want to report incidents because they fear repercussions. Some even feel that reporting a small incident is meaningless. However, reporting an incident after it occurs is crucial, no matter how small. You may be wondering “why is incident reporting important?”. That is why we’re here to explain all of the important benefits you can gain from disclosing incidents in the workplace.

 

Why is Incident Reporting Important?

To begin, incident reporting can greatly reduce the chance that another similar incident will occur in the future. It can make management and other employees aware of the possibility and risk factors that come along with that particular incident. If an incident isn’t reported, even a small one, the likelihood of an even more serious incident occurring increases since a proper plan to correct it was not put in place. 

In terms of injuries, reporting this type of incident can boast several benefits. Even if an injury is minor, reporting it can allow for the proper medical attention that will ensure the injury does not become more serious. Injury reporting can even save lives. If the cause of the injury is never made known to others, another person can become injured due to the issue never being fixed. 

Reporting workplace incidents can also save a company a lot of time and money. Reporting an incident the first time it happens can save you from the high costs of dealing with it when it becomes a major issue or when it happens again. Injuries and other types of incidents can often lead to lawsuits. When you fail to report the incident, it is difficult to defend yourself since little details were captured and no record exists. 

 

Incident Reporting Guidelines

Not only is it crucial that you report an incident in the first place, reporting it correctly is of equal importance. Incident reporting guidelines first suggest that you report any incident immediately after it occurs. An incident report should also be accurate and contain specific details. You will want to include where it happened, who was involved (witnesses, too), when it happened, those who are involved in the investigation, etc. It’s also recommended to include any graphics in your report if need be. All details, no matter how small, matter when reporting an incident to increase safety in the workplace.

 

RiskLimiter Reporter: The Most Convenient Incident Reporting Software

Now that you understand how vital reporting workplace incidents is to keep your work environment safe, you may be looking for the best incident reporting software out. RiskLimiter Reporter is the go-to inspection app for businesses in the food, grocery, and hospitality industries. Our inspection app brings critical speed and accuracy to the reporting of incidents and can also perform custom audits. If you would like to increase safety in your workplace, schedule a demo to try RiskLimiter Reporter today!