Implement work safety requirements

In Victoria, the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act 2004, requires all employers to:

• keep a written record of any workplace accidents
• notify WorkSafe of any dangerous incidents
• keep information regarding WHS of employees.

Some of these reports may be called incident reports, first aid reports, workers compensation claim forms. As part of this process, all employees are required to report any emergency incidents, accidents or near misses as quickly as possible. Let’s clarify these terms commonly used in emergency reports.

Accident	An unintended event or incident which occurs at work, resulting in injury. E.g. a worker falls from a ladder.
Incident	An actual or alleged event that occurs in a workplace and causes injury or potential injury to a worker. E.g. A fight between workers, a chemical explosion in the workplace.
Critical incident	Events which may require urgent medical attention and/or police notification such as: Medical emergency Sexual abuse Mental stress Data or privacy  breach Missing person
Near miss	A narrowly avoided incident, collision or accident. E.g. A worker narrowly escapes being hit by shelving that collapses.

Your organisation will have forms and templates to complete should an injury at work occur. These forms are kept on file in case employees need to claim for medical expenses and/or work cover; they can also be used as evidence in court cases. Therefore the reports need to be written in clear, legible English and signed off by your WHR and/or manager.

An emergency report will usually include details of:

• the date and time of the incident/accident
• the location
• name and details of the injured person
• what occurred (factual account)
• the injury sustained
• names of witnesses
• first aid or treatment administered.

An emergency or incident report contains a section for the employee, the HSR and the manager to sign. See a sample emergency incident report below.