When there is a safety incident in the organization, these basic questions could be asked. What are the key things to do? Moreover, what are the procedures to record and distribute information about the incident?

We always need to be ready even though nobody wants to have any safety incidents. When a safety incident occurs, it is essential that an organisation should have a plan on how to react and communicate. This article explores 5 simple tips to improve incident management.

1. First thing – be prepared

Ensure to have in place an incident reporting process and define communication channels. It is essential, reporting a safety incident, everyone in the organisation should be familiar with how and which channels to use.

To avoid your organisation from paralyzing when responding to an incident, it is significant that you outline and communicate the roles and tasks of everyone at different levels. If possible, employees should include photos of the incident; this can aid the commencement of a comprehensive approach to data gathering immediately.

When the incident is being investigated, photos and information are valuable. It could be better with the available data you have at your disposal. You must acquire as much information as possible when it is still fresh.

2. Ensure that People responsible for HSEQ are made aware of what to do when an incident is reported

What do we do next? The report has been received through our reporting channel, how do we process the report? Alternatively, should we just bury on someone’s desk?

Safety managers are tasked with steps to take on How to handle safety incidents and when they occur. To ensure that your response team is involved as quickly as possible in the case of a severe incident, once received, there should be clarity about how incident reporting moves forward.

3. Communicate, communicate, and communicate!

There should be effective communication between everyone affected as well as towards the HSEQ team and management when a safety incident report is received.

Because, incidents are rarely isolated situations, the moment you have a clear picture of what has happened, avoiding treating Safety incidents as confidential. Because usually, the same factors that led to one incident might also be present in other parts of the organisation. It is essential to make the information available to anybody to whom it might concern as this could be related to training, safety culture, machinery or management processes.

4. Take action

Any findings from the investigation in regards to the safety incident report have to be uploaded into your safety management system as well as any other software management applications. To identify the root causes, it is crucial that you document all the information about the incident and any investigation you carry out.

Take immediate action to mitigate the incident the moment you identify the root. Regularly follow up after assigning tasks to people to ensure they understood it clearly.

5. Feedback!

Usually, the person who initially reported an incident never gets feedback. This is one of the significant steps which is sometimes forgotten even in an organisation that has a well-functioning incident management process. Actions such as refining best practice, revising training programmes and investing in equipment should be considered after an incident occurs. Nonetheless, this might not see by the person that reported the incident.

Conclusion

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