Incident Reporting

Verify circumstances of the incident by interviewing the injured person, witnesses, and other involved individuals.

Report serious injuries to EH&S immediately at 509-335-5251.

Submit incident report.

Complete investigation report if any one of the following occurs:

• Employee receives medical treatment.
• Employee is unable to work next or subsequent shift(s) due to the incident.
• Conditions of significant near miss would have caused serious injury or illness.

Send copies of optional personal statement form(s) to HRS, the department’s safety committee, and EH&S.

An optional personal statement may be submitted.

Per SPPM 2.24, the supervisor submits copies of this form (i.e., the witness form) to HRS and references the Incident Report submitted to HRS, the department’s safety committee, and EH&S.

Injury

Any wound or damage to the body resulting from an instantaneous event. Examples include cuts, bruises, contusions, chipped teeth, amputations, insect bites, electric shock, burns, sprains, and injuries to muscles, joints, and connective tissues resulting from a slip, trip, or fall.

Illness

A condition resulting from chronic exposure to the work and/or academic environment. Examples include musculoskeletal disorders (e.g., tendinitis, carpal tunnel syndrome), skin disorders, respiratory conditions, and noise-induced hearing loss.

Significant Near-Miss

Any incident that occurs that does not result in injury but had the potential to result in injury. An example of this would be an explosion in an empty lab that would have likely resulted in injury had someone been present.

The investigation of accidents and significant near misses is an essential part of the University’s accident prevention program. A thorough investigation reconstructing the chain of events leading up to the incident identifies unsafe acts and conditions requiring corrective action. An accident investigation and subsequent implementation of the corrective action minimizes the potential for future accidents.

Supervisors must complete an Incident Investigation Report if one or more of the following conditions are met:

• The employee receives medical treatment.
• The employee is unable to work the next full or subsequent shift(s) because of the injury or illness.
• Events and conditions involving a significant near miss where injury or illness would have been serious.

Download the Supervisor’s Accident Investigation Report.

See WSU Safety Policy and Procedures Manual for more information.

Regardless of how minor, the driver must immediately notify his or her supervisor and Risk Management Services, as well as the WSU Motor Pool if a Motor Pool vehicle was involved. See SPPM 7.20 for full details.

The driver must submit a completed Washington state Vehicle Accident Report to Risk Management Services within two working days.

For an accident involving a motor vehicle with injuries, the driver must also immediately notify the local area law enforcement department. Law enforcement personnel should investigate all accidents resulting in any of the following:

• Damage costing over $1000 to motor vehicles
• Damage to other property
• Injuries to individuals