An incident report should allow a person who was not present to understand what happened, what actions were taken, and why. If the report only makes sense to the writer today, it may fail the organization six months from now.
Before submitting a report, use this five-part test.
1. Does it establish the timeline?
List important events in order. Use exact times when known and clearly identify approximate times when they are not.
2. Does it describe observable facts?
Record what you personally saw, heard, received, or did. Replace labels such as “aggressive” with specific behavior—for example, raised voice, clenched fists, threats, refusal, or movement toward another person.
3. Does it identify instructions and responses?
Document the direction given, who gave it, and how the person responded. Include compliance, refusal, questions, or other meaningful reactions.
4. Does it explain your actions?
State what you did and connect the action to the circumstances. Do not assume that a future reader knows the location, policy, risk, or operational concern.
5. Does it close the event?
Explain the final condition. Identify who was notified, whether medical care or assistance was requested, where involved people went, and what evidence or follow-up remained.
Compare these examples:
Too vague: “The employee was unsafe and was spoken to.”
Clearer: “At approximately 2:10 p.m., I observed the employee enter the restricted area without required eye protection. I directed the employee to exit and retrieve the required protection. The employee complied, returned wearing the equipment, and resumed work at approximately 2:14 p.m.”
Clear reporting strengthens accountability, protects employees, and gives leaders useful information for preventing the next incident.
Where H.S.S. fits
Organizations often tell employees to “write a good report” without giving them a practical standard for doing it. Hildebrandt Safety & Security Consulting develops plain-language tools that help teams communicate clearly, document consistently, and turn incidents into prevention.
Try the H.S.S. approach for yourself. Our free Before It Becomes an Incident gives you a useful starting point without asking you to purchase anything first.
Explore additional H.S.S. tools and training resources: