Accurate
Incident reports should be clear and specific. Provide details of what you are referring to and avoid any vague statements that may cause confusion. Always proofread your report before submission to see errors that you might have overlooked.

Factual
An incident report should be objective and supported by facts. Avoid including emotional, opinionated and biased statements in the incident report. If there’s a need to include statements from witnesses or patients, make sure to quote them.

Complete
Ensure that all essential questions (what, where, when, why and how) are covered in the incident report. Anticipate what other significant details will be needed for any future study and investigation.

Graphic
Include photos, illustrations and diagrams to help support the facts stated. This supplements the facts stated and provides more clarity to be easily understood by the recipient.

Valid
Upon completion, those who are involved in the incident should sign off to testify and validate all the information that was mentioned in the incident report.