Report All Injuries Toolbox Talk

Incident & Near Miss Reporting Safety Talk

Have you ever gotten injured on the job? Did you report it? Often, minor injuries that can be remedied with a simple first aid kit don’t get reported.

There are many valid reasons that your work needs you to report these instances and even near-misses. All employees should better understand the importance of reporting so they’re more likely to notify the necessary stakeholders when an incident or near-miss occurs.

The many reasons incident reports aren’t made

Workers don’t report incidents for a number of different reasons. When you have to admit your fault or involvement in certain situations, it can be difficult. Many would rather leave things unresolved than file a report.

Some of the many reasons incidents go unreported are:

• Embarrassment

• Fear of discipline

• Uncertainty of the outcome 

• Concern about other employees’ opinions

• Fear of repercussions

• Not wanting to bother with paperwork

It is important for the business and yourself to make incident reports. Don’t worry about what others think or say. Employees should take responsibility and follow the right steps when involved in these serious situations.

The importance of making incident reports

Reporting is important for present issues as well as potential future ones. You may feel that reporting an incident and filling out the necessary paperwork is a hassle, but it could be what needs to be done to fix the hazardous condition that caused the incident.

When injuries occur while you are working, it brings awareness to the people in charge as well. They can take note of hazardous conditions that need to be addressed. That may mean bringing it to other people's attention so that no one else gets hurt, or to resolve a problem.

Report to a safety representative or supervisor

No matter how minor you feel the situation is, report the injury when one occurs. It is important for people other than just yourself. Make the right person aware of the situation and have the injury looked at.

Examples of why you should tell someone about minor problems include:

• A spider bite - A spider bite can be completely harmless. But sometimes it can cause major problems. What if the bite gets infected? What if you are allergic? What if it was venomous? There are so many different things that can happen, which is why you should make a supervisor or medical representative aware of the problem.

• A bee sting - Many people are allergic to bees and wasps. Sometimes you don’t know that you are allergic until it happens. Allergic reactions can cause your eyes to water, or you could even have trouble breathing or break out in hives. Any situation that requires medical attention while on the job needs an injury report.

OSHA recordable injury

If you don’t report incidents at work when they happen, it can cause problems when you go to receive medical help. OSHA defines a recordable injury as any injury that requires medical attention outside of basic first aid.

Not reporting the incident while you are at work can lead to negative outcomes. Some of the reasons why are:

• In order to claim the injury as a work-related one, you need to report it when it happens. By not reporting it, you can cause gaps in communication, and your employer will have to determine if it is a legitimate claim or not. By reporting these things as they happen, you can eliminate this type of confusion.

• A minor incident can turn into a major one in a short amount of time. For example, an allergic reaction can be a mild inconvenience, but it can also be fatal. If you report the problem when it happens, you can get information on signs to watch for.

What incidents need to be reported

Incident reports should be made for both minor and major incidents that occur. People often prefer not to admit these faults by making a report. However, everything that occurs while on the job needs to be addressed properly. This includes:

• Property damage

• Spills

• Near misses

• Injuries

• Stings and bites

• Cuts, strains, and sprains

• Broken bones

• Head injuries

What happens if I don’t report an injury

You can’t get into trouble for not reporting an injury while on the job. But it can cause problems if you need to seek medical attention outside of basic first aid. If there isn’t an incident report on record, then you could be denied coverage for medical services.

Why near misses need to be reported

Many people don’t know why near-miss incidents should be reported. You weren’t actually hurt, so why should you make a report? Near-miss incidents are a learning experience. Just because it nearly missed you, doesn’t mean it will for the next employee.

The right measures can be made to eliminate the hazard so it doesn’t happen again. You can also bring it to the team's attention so injuries don’t actually occur. An incident occurring is often what it takes to make everyone take a situation seriously.

Step up and report all injuries or problems

No matter how embarrassed or bad you feel about reporting a problem, you should step up and do it. It could be a lesson learned for you and your fellow co-workers. Accidents happen, it is how we deal with them that really matters.

Minor problems can turn into big ones in a matter of minutes. Be safe and take the right steps to protect yourself. You can avoid having to make an OSHA recordable report by reporting to your medical advisor or supervisor immediately.

Who do I report injuries to

If you are unsure of who you are supposed to submit an injury or near miss report to, ask your supervisor. If you have a medical advisor, you will most likely report to them. Otherwise, the supervisor can point you in the right direction.