The document outlines the steps a Safety Officer should take when responding to a workplace incident. These include ensuring those involved receive medical attention, identifying the cause of the incident, notifying authorities and management, documenting the basic facts of what happened, providing a full description of the incident details and circumstances, organizing a meeting to discuss preventing reoccurrences, and ensuring a prevention plan is implemented.

1. One of a Safety Officer or OHS representative’s responsibilities is to
respond to incidents, which can include injuries and workplace
accidents. Responding to an incident means following very strict
procedure.
Here is an incident checklist to give you an idea of what a typical
incident response will entail:
RESPOND TO THE INCIDENT
First thing you need to do is make sure the
parties involved are all safe and that they’ve
received any necessary medical attention.
IDENTIFY the SOURCE OF The INCIDENT
Identify the source, or cause, of the incident, and
make sure that it is resolved so as to avoid more
incidents.
REPORT THE INCIDENT
You should immediately notify emergency services
if necessary, and notify the employer or manager
about the incident.
DOCUMENT THE BASIC FACTS
Fill in a form that includes basic facts such as:
• Date and time of the incident
• Nature of the incident
• Location of the incident
• Name of parties involved
• Name of responding offer
WRITE A FULL INCIDENT DESCRIPTION
You should write up a detailed and complete description of
the incident, including:
• The circumstances that surrounded the incident
• The sequence of events leading up to the incident
• What instructions were being carried out at the time
• What the consequences of the events were
OHS
INCIDENT CHECKLIST
OHS
INCIDENT CHECKLIST
ORGANISE A TACTICAL MEETING
Organise a meeting with relevant parties to discuss
prevention of incident reoccurrence. Determine:
• Whether such an incident has occurred previously
• Why the the incident occured in the first place
• What level of competency those involved had, and
whether there were deficiencies in their training
• What steps can be taken to prevent reoccurrence
ENSURE that a prevention PLAN is implemented
Make sure a prevention plan is put in
place, and that the incident doesn’t occur
again.
STUDY an OHS Course
via distance learning
STUDY an OHS Course
via distance learning
Oxbridge Academy offers a range of excellent OHS
courses for South African students to study from home
via distance learning.
To find out more, visit:
www.oxbridgeacademy.co.za/find-a-course/safety-occupational-health-and-safety-management
www.oxbridgeacademy.co.za