Accident - witness statement

In the event of an accident, a first-hand account of what happened can be invaluable. To obtain the information you need, take a witness statement.

An accurate account

In the event of an accident, having all the facts to hand will help you to identify exactly what went wrong and what’s required to prevent a recurrence. In addition, if you can present a professional case to an inspector, you will reduce the likelihood of enforcement action being taken.

Valuable exercise

Although it may appear to be a pointless exercise collecting witness statements in the event of a relatively minor incident, the extent of the injury may not reflect what could have happened. For example, the injured party may have only suffered a minor cut, but if they had left their hand in place for a few seconds more, it could have resulted in an amputation.

When to do it

We suggest you get in the habit of completing an Accident - Witness Statement whenever there’s an incident. Doing so could unearth vital information that helps you develop new safe systems of work, thereby reducing the likelihood of a recurrence with a more serious outcome. Ask those completing the witness statement to provide as many detailed facts about the incident as possible.