Incident Log

Educational guidance on registers and logs — what each records, who maintains it, what it typically contains and how long it is generally kept. Informational only — template examples, not official documents or legal advice; a register documents activity, it does not by itself prove compliance, and employers remain responsible.

What an incident log is

An incident log is a broad chronological record that captures the range of safety events — not only injuries but near misses, property damage and dangerous occurrences — so the workplace has one place to see what happened and when.

This page is an educational overview with a simplified example. It is not an official template, not jurisdiction-specific and not legal advice — the employer decides what counts as an incident and how the log is kept.

Purpose

• Keep one ordered record of incidents of all types.
• Make sure each incident is triaged to the right follow-up.
• Support trend analysis across different event types.
• Link entries to fuller reports and investigations.

Who maintains it

• A nominated person logs incidents as they are reported.
• A supervisor or safety lead reviews and routes each entry.
• Access is controlled because entries can contain personal data.
• The employer decides scope, ownership and process.

When it is used

• Whenever any safety incident is reported.
• During reviews to compare event types over time.
• When deciding what needs investigation or external reporting.
• When checking that follow-up actions were closed.

Typical fields

• Reference, date, time and location.
• Incident type (accident, near miss, damage, dangerous occurrence).
• Short factual description and people or property involved.
• Immediate action and the follow-up route.
• Link to full report, investigation and action status.
• Example columns only — adapt to your process and the applicable law.

Common mistakes

• Logging only injuries and missing near misses or damage.
• Inconsistent categories that make trends impossible to read.
• Leaving entries with no follow-up route or outcome.
• Holding personal data with no access control.

Document workflow

The incident log is the front door of the incident chain: an event is reported and logged, then routed — to an accident report and the accident register for injuries, or to the near miss register for close calls — with corrective action completed afterwards.

See the related documents below for what is commonly used with and completed after an incident log entry.

Retention (high level)

Incident records are generally kept for a period set by the applicable law and the employer’s data-protection duties. This page does not state a required period — confirm with the applicable law and the official authority.

Completing and sharing as a PDF

An incident log is often held in a system or spreadsheet and exported to PDF for review. Exporting to PDF supports the record; it does not make it official or prove compliance.

Employer checklist

• Define clearly what counts as an incident and capture all types.
• Use consistent categories so trends are readable.
• Route each entry to the right follow-up and close it out.
• Control access and protect personal data.

Worker notes

• Report incidents of all kinds, not only injuries.
• Stick to the facts of what happened.
• Know who to tell and where the log is kept.

Country considerations

What must be logged, retained and reported externally varies by country, and the official authority differs. This page is general and high-level — not a statement of any country’s law and not legal advice.

Confirm external reporting duties and record-keeping with the official authority for your country and a qualified professional.

Who is responsible

The employer is responsible for recording incidents, routing them correctly, acting on what they show and for compliance. This page is an educational overview with a template example; it does not make a workplace compliant and does not transfer responsibility.