As a leader, you play an important role in reviewing incidents, identifying what caused them and ensuring the right follow-up actions are in place.
This page provides a quick reference to support you through that process.
New to incident review? Start with the ‘Conducting Incident Review’ training before accessing the Enterprise Incident Management System (EIMS).
If you’ve already completed the training, you can log in to EIMS to begin or continue your review.
Choose your starting point:
The purpose of every incident review or investigation is to prevent similar incidents from happening again. By identifying what contributed to an incident—not who is at fault—we help create safer learning and working environments for students, staff, and visitors.
Quick steps
If you’ve already completed the training, use the steps below to guide you through the incident review process in EIMS. You can move through each step in order or jump to the section you need.
- Open the incident in EIMS
Access the incident from your notification email or log in to EIMS and locate it in your dashboard. - Confirm whether action is required
Review the incident level and details to determine if you are responsible for completing a Level 1 review. - Gather information
Collect relevant details by speaking with those involved, reviewing the environment, and checking any related documentation. Level 1 incidents only. - Document root cause
Identify the immediate and basic causes of the incident and record them in EIMS. Level 1 incidents only. - Assign corrective actions
Define actions that address the causes and assign them to the appropriate individuals. Level 1 incidents only. - Monitor progress
Track corrective actions in EIMS and follow up to ensure they are completed on time. - Sign off and close the incident
Once all corrective actions are complete, sign off in EIMS and continue to monitor outcomes as needed.
When you receive a notification
When an incident is reported in your area, you’ll receive a notification from EIMS. Notifications are typically sent within a few days of the incident occurring, once the report has been submitted and reviewed.
The notification includes a link to the incident and indicates whether any action is required from you. Your next steps depend on the level assigned to the incident.
No action required
Some incidents are recorded for awareness and do not require follow-up. You can review the details in EIMS if needed, but no further action is expected.
Leadership considerationEven when no action is required, you may want to connect with those involved to acknowledge the report and ensure they have the support and information they need.
Level 1 incident
If the incident is classified as Level 1, you are responsible for completing the review and identifying corrective actions.
This includes:
- reviewing the incident details
- gathering additional information
- identifying immediate and basic causes
- assigning corrective actions
- monitoring progress through to completion
You can use the steps outlined on this page to guide you through the process.
Level 2 or 3 incident
For more complex incidents, a formal investigation will be conducted by Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) or other designated teams.
- You will be notified as the investigation progresses
- You can access the incident and review updates through EIMS
- You are not responsible for leading the investigation, but you will be involved in implementing corrective actions, depending on the situation
Gather information
Before documenting your review, take time to gather the information you need to understand what happened. The details you collect will help you identify the immediate and basic causes of the incident and determine the right corrective actions.
- Review the environment, equipment and materials
Look at the physical conditions surrounding the incident. This can help you identify contributing factors that may not be obvious from the report alone. - Review relevant documentation
Supporting documentation can provide important context and help confirm details. - Capture and organize your notes
As you gather information, record what you find so you can reference it when completing your review in EIMS. - Talk with people involved
Connecting with the people who were involved in or witnessed the incident helps you build a clear picture of what happened before, during and after the event.
The type and amount of information you gather will depend on the incident. Focus on collecting enough detail to support a fair and accurate review.
Document root cause
When an incident is reported in your area, you’ll receive a notification from EIMS. This notification includes a link to the incident and indicates whether any action is required from you. Identifying the root causes helps us understand why an incident occurred so we can take action to reduce the risk of it happening again.
Identify immediate causes
What directly led to the incident?
Immediate causes are the actions or conditions present just before the incident occurred.
These typically fall into two categories:
- Substandard conditions: unsafe conditions related to the environment, equipment or materials
- Substandard acts: unsafe actions or behaviours, including not following established procedures
Focus on what was happening at the time of the incident—not why it happened yet.
For most Level 1 incidents, you will identify one or two immediate causes.
Identify basic causes
What allowed the incident to happen?
Basic causes are the underlying factors that contributed to the immediate causes. These help explain why the conditions or actions existed in the first place.
These typically fall into two categories:
- Job factors: issues related to systems, processes, supervision, equipment, standards or communication
- Personal factors: factors such as knowledge, skill, experience, fatigue or stress
Basic causes are used to understand contributing factors and improve systems—not to assign blame.
Download the root cause reference guide for examples and guidance.
Assign corrective actions
Once you’ve identified the causes, the next step is to define what needs to change to prevent a similar incident from happening again. Corrective actions should address underlying causes to improve safety and prevent recurrence.
Identify effective corrective actions
Corrective actions should be specific, practical and focused on preventing recurrence—not just addressing the immediate issue.
When determining corrective actions, consider:
- What can be changed to eliminate or reduce the hazard?
- What adjustments can be made to processes, equipment or the environment?
- What additional controls or safeguards are needed?
Where possible, prioritize stronger controls:
- Eliminate or remove the hazard
- Substitute or replace with a safer option
- Isolate people from the hazard (engineering control)
- Implement administrative controls (procedures, training, scheduling)
- Use personal protective equipment (PPE) as a last line of defence
There should be at least one corrective action for each immediate and basic cause.
Assign responsibility
Corrective actions must be assigned to someone who can implement them.
- Assign each action to a specific individual
- Be clear about what needs to be done
- Ensure the person understands the expectation and timeline
Important: You can delegate the action, but you remain responsible for ensuring it is completed.
Writing effective corrective actions
Corrective actions should be specific, actionable and clearly tied to the cause of the incident. Compare the examples below.
Weak: Remind staff to be careful
Stronger: Update the procedure for equipment use and provide refresher training to all staff
Stronger: Review and reinforce safe work procedures during team meetings and document attendance
Monitor corrective actions
Once actions are assigned, regularly review their progress in EIMS.
- Check the status of each corrective action
- Follow up with the individuals responsible for completion
- Address any delays or overdue items
EIMS will send reminders for overdue corrective actions, but it is your responsibility to ensure they are completed.
Update completion status
Corrective actions must be marked as complete in EIMS once they have been finished.
- The assigned individual or the leader can update the status
- Ensure the action has been fully implemented before marking it complete
- Add notes or supporting details if needed
Important: Signing off in EIMS officially closes the incident, but your role does not end there. Continue to monitor the effectiveness of corrective actions and make adjustments if needed.