What is an incident report?

An incident report is specifically designed to document an accident or near-miss event that occurs in the workplace. It provides a structured way to capture critical information about the incident, including the time, location, people involved, and the sequence of events leading up to the occurrence. This documentation is essential for several reasons: it aids in identifying trends in workplace safety, helps in the analysis of the causes of incidents, and can inform future safety policies and training. By detailing what happened, incident reports also serve as a legal record if necessary and assist in implementing measures to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.

The other options do not capture the essence of what an incident report is intended for. A document detailing all regulations would focus on compliance and guidelines rather than specific events. A report summarizing employee performance relates to evaluating work effectiveness, which is unrelated to safety incidents. A form for requesting time off pertains to personnel management and does not address workplace accidents or safety concerns.