Free Incident Report Template
Start from a filled-in example, then write your own report on the blank form. It records what happened as facts, who was involved, what you did straight away, the root cause, and the actions that stop it happening again.
What is in the pack
- Filled-in example first: a guest slips on wet tiles at a hotel pool
- Blank incident report: details, people involved, what happened, immediate actions, root cause, corrective actions, sign-off
- Witness statement form
- Incident log with type, severity and status dropdowns, colour-coded severity and a count by type
- The report as a Word document, plus a printable PDF (example, blank report and witness statement)
Incident report example: a guest slips at a hotel pool
Illustrative example, not customer data. This is page 1 of the template; the next pages are the same report, blank.
| Section | Example |
|---|---|
| Incident | INC-2026-031 · 14 Jun 2026, 15:40 · Pool deck, between the outdoor showers and the pool bar · Reported by the lifeguard on duty |
| Type and severity | Injury · Moderate (first aid and a doctor, no hospital) |
| People involved | Guest A (injured); the lifeguard (witness, gave first aid); Guest B at the pool bar (witness) |
| What happened | The guest walked from the outdoor showers towards the pool bar, slipped on wet tiles and fell onto the left wrist. The anti-slip mat that is normally there was missing, and there was no wet-floor sign. |
| Injury and treatment | Sprained left wrist. Ice and a bandage at 15:45, the hotel doctor at 16:20; the guest declined a hospital visit. |
| Immediate actions | Area cordoned off at 15:50; tiles dried, mat put back and a wet-floor sign placed at 16:00; dinner sent to the room and a check-in call the next morning |
| Direct cause | Wet tiles with no anti-slip mat and no wet-floor sign |
| Root cause | The mat is removed for cleaning at 14:30 and the pool cleaning checklist has no step to put it back. The cleaner’s shift ended at 15:00 with no hand-over to the pool team. |
| Contributing factors | Tiles in the shower zone are not slip-resistant. Nine guest reviews in the previous three months mentioned slippery floors at the pool; two earlier near misses were never reported. |
| Corrective actions | “Mat back, sign removed” added to the cleaning checklist; hand-over at every shift change; slip-resistant coating on the shower-zone tiles |
| Preventive actions | Every wet area checked for the same risk (spa, gym showers, lobby entrance on rainy days); “slippery” and “wet floor” mentions in guest reviews reviewed every week |
| Closed | 15 Aug 2026: no slips or near misses at the pool in the eight weeks after the fixes. Reviewed by the duty manager and the safety officer. |
How to write an incident report in 6 steps
- 1Make everyone safe first: give first aid, call emergency services if needed and secure the area. The report comes after.
- 2Write it the same day, while memories are fresh: date, time, the exact location and who is reporting.
- 3Describe what happened as facts, in order. Leave out blame and guesses, and quote people where you can.
- 4Record everyone involved and every witness, and take witness statements separately.
- 5Find the root cause: ask why until you reach a process or a missing check, not a person.
- 6Give each corrective and preventive action an owner and a due date, follow up with the people involved, and close the report only when the actions are done.
Types of incident reports
One form covers them all: choose the type in the template, then add what that type needs.
| Type | Example | Also record |
|---|---|---|
| Injury | A guest or employee slips and sprains a wrist | Treatment given, time off work, and whether it must be reported to an authority |
| Near miss | Someone slips on a wet floor but does not fall | What could have happened. Near misses show where the next injury will be. |
| Property damage | A cracked sink floods a bathroom | What was damaged, the estimated cost, and whether the insurer was told |
| Service failure or IT incident | Card terminals are down for 40 minutes at dinner | Start and end time, customers affected, and how service was restored |
| Security | A car park barrier is left open overnight | Who had access, what was lost or exposed, and who was told |
Related free templates
Frequently asked questions
Is the incident report template free?
Yes. The printable PDF downloads without an email. The Excel pack and the Word report are sent to your email for free.
What should an incident report include?
The date, time and exact location; the type and severity; everyone involved and every witness; what happened, as facts and in order; any injury or damage and the treatment given; the immediate actions; the root cause; corrective and preventive actions with an owner and a due date; and who reviewed and closed it.
When should an incident report be written?
As soon as everyone is safe, ideally the same day, while people still remember the details. Many organisations set a 24-hour limit. Take witness statements as early as you can, separately.
What is the difference between an incident and a near miss?
In an incident someone is hurt, something is damaged or a service fails. In a near miss it could have happened but did not, like a slip without a fall. Report both: near misses show where the next incident will happen. In the example, two near misses at the pool were never reported.
Can I use it for workplace, IT or customer incidents?
Yes. Choose the type in the template: injury, near miss, property damage, service failure, security or other. For workplace injuries, check whether your country also requires an official form or report, such as OSHA Form 301 in the US or a RIDDOR report in the UK. This template is for your own record and investigation.
Is there a Word, Excel or Google Sheets version?
Yes. The pack has an Excel workbook with four sheets (example, blank report, witness statement, incident log) and a Word version of the report. For Google Sheets, upload the .xlsx file to Google Drive and open it with Google Sheets; the dropdowns, colours and counts carry over.
What if customers mention the problem before anyone files a report?
They often do. In the example, guests wrote about slippery floors in reviews for three months before anyone was hurt. Pivony runs root cause analysis on all of your reviews, complaints and tickets, so a recurring problem shows up as a topic with its own trend, not only when an incident report is filed.
Do customers mention problems before they become incidents?
Pivony runs root cause analysis on all of your reviews, complaints and tickets, not a sample.
Get a free root cause audit