Incident
An incident is an unplanned, undesired event or sequence of events that results in or has the potential to cause injury, illness, damage to property, harm to the environment, or business interruption. Incidents can be classified into different types, including near misses, unsafe acts, unsafe conditions, and actual accidents.
Brief Explanation of the Term “Incident”:
Incidents are categorized based on their severity and impact, ranging from minor near-misses to catastrophic events. While some incidents result in injuries, property damage, or environmental harm, others—like near-misses—serve as warning signs of potential hazards. An accident is a type of incident that leads to injury, illness, fatality, or material damage. Investigating and analyzing incidents enables organizations to implement corrective actions and prevent future occurrences.
Example of the Term “Incident”:
A worker is using a forklift to move pallets in a warehouse. While maneuvering, the worker accidentally clips a storage rack, causing several boxes to fall. Fortunately, no one is injured, and the boxes contain non-hazardous materials. Here:
- Incident: The act of the forklift clipping the storage rack and the boxes falling is an incident.
- Based on this scenario, it will be classified as a damage-only accident. This classification is generally defined by the law and/or the organization’s internal policies. In this case, since there were no injuries and the damage was limited to the storage rack and boxes, it falls under the damage-only category.
- It was unplanned: The worker did not intend to hit the rack.
- It had the potential for harm: The falling boxes could have injured a worker or damaged the stored goods.
- It is a deviation from normal work process.