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SAFETY FOCUS

Writing Reports Continued

4. Concise
It may seem like a contradiction to say a report should be both complete and concise. How-
ever, concise does not mean important details are left out. It means the writer should cut out
language that does not add value. Excessive wordiness should be avoided. See the example
below.
Wordy: The engine company that arrived first on scene immediately began operations to
search the first floor of the hotel and rescue anyone who might be trapped.
Concise: The first-in engine company immediately began search and rescue operations on
the first floor of the hotel.
5. Well Organized

Poorly organized reports can make interpretation difficult. Incident reports should follow a
logical structure and are best organized in chronological order. Enough detail should be
added to the incident description, suspected cause, and immediate actions taken sections of the
report so that the reader can understand the events leading up to and following the event.

Conclusion
Hopefully these five guidelines help you better understand how to effectively write your incident reports. Remem-
ber, these reports serve as a permanent record of what happened within Loram and are often shared with custom-
ers or outside regulatory agencies.

If you ever have any doubts about the content of your report, you should save it as a draft and connect with your
leadership team before submitting for verification.

Thank you for reading and stay safe out there!

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