Incident accident data

The information gathered from records of injuries and incidents (including near misses) which have occurred in the workplace can be valuable for identifying hazards. Although injury statistics are often considered as a negative indication of an organisation's OHS performance, the information gathered can be used in a positive manner.

An effective injury reporting system should be developed to gather information that can be used to identify:

• what occurred (particularly with 'near misses')
• who was injured - by department, sections
• type of injury - lacerations, fractures, strains and sprains
• what body parts - arms, legs, lower back, upper back, eyes
• where - workplace locations
• when - time of day, shifts, seasonal trends
• how - slips, trips, falls, overuse injuries.

Injury reporting

Injury reporting systems can range from a basic first aid record sheet to a comprehensive reporting system that incorporates graphics that summarise injury types and workplace locations.

Injury reporting systems should be supported with a policy and procedure that is communicated and implemented throughout the workplace. The system should be part of an employee induction process and records kept of each person's induction session.