Near-miss report and workplace accident – investigation, notification and action plan
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An incident report is only valuable once it leads to the organization understanding why something happened and reduces the risk of it recurring. AFS 2023:1 requires the employer to investigate the causes of ill health, accidents, and serious incidents related to work.
Quick overview
- All incidents should be captured in internal reporting, even when no one is injured.
- Ill health, accidents, and serious work-related incidents must be investigated in accordance with AFS 2023:1.
- Deaths, serious personal injuries, multiple simultaneous injuries, and serious incidents must be reported to the Swedish Work Environment Authority without delay – preferably on the same day.
- Work-related injuries must also be handled according to the regulations for reporting to the Swedish Social Insurance Agency.
- The investigation should focus on underlying work environment causes, not on assigning blame.
| Report | What happened, where, when, and who was involved? |
| Secure | Stop any continued danger and preserve relevant information. |
| Assess notification | Is the event serious according to Chapter 3, Section 3 a of the Work Environment Act? |
| Investigate | Direct and underlying causes – technology, organization, instructions, and conditions. |
| Remediate | Immediate and long-term measures with an assigned person responsible and a deadline. |
The difference between an incident and a work-related accident
An incident is an undesirable event or situation that could have led to ill health or an accident. An accident has actually resulted in physical or psychological harm. Incidents are therefore important early warning signs.
When should the Swedish Work Environment Authority be notified?
According to Chapter 3, Section 3 a of the Work Environment Act, the employer must notify the authority without delay of deaths, serious personal injuries, injuries affecting multiple employees simultaneously, and incidents involving serious danger to life or health. The Swedish Work Environment Authority states that notification should preferably take place on the same day.
Investigate the cause – not the blame
AFS 2023:1 states that the purpose of the investigation is to determine measures that prevent the event from recurring. Therefore, examine work methods, equipment, instructions, competence, staffing, time pressure, maintenance, and organizational conditions.
Action plan and feedback
Actions that cannot be implemented immediately need to be planned with a responsible person and a timeframe. Provide feedback to those concerned and check afterwards whether the measure has actually reduced the risk – otherwise, it needs to be adjusted.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Only registering incidents without analyzing them.
- Waiting to report a serious event until the entire internal investigation is complete.
- Writing 'human error' as the root cause without examining the working conditions.
- Lacking a responsible person and a deadline in the action plan.
- Not sharing lessons learned with other departments where the same risk exists.
Frequently asked questions
Must all incidents be reported to the Swedish Work Environment Authority?
No. It is serious incidents that are covered by the reporting requirement. Internally, it is still valuable to report and follow up on even minor incidents.
How quickly should a serious event be reported?
Without delay. The Swedish Work Environment Authority states that it should preferably occur the same day.
Must the employer conduct their own investigation even if the authority receives a report?
Yes. The duty to investigate remains regardless of whether the Swedish Work Environment Authority chooses to inspect or not.
What should an incident report contain?
Sufficient facts about the event, the risks, the causes, decided measures, the responsible person, and follow-up – without unnecessary sensitive personal data.
Incident report, accident investigation, and action plan
The template package provides a cohesive flow from initial report to root cause investigation, action plan, and follow-up.
Read also
Sources and further reading
- Swedish Work Environment Authority – AFS 2023:1 Systematic work environment management
- Swedish Work Environment Authority – Report serious injuries, deaths, and serious incidents
Last updated: October 5, 2026. This article provides general information and does not replace a business-specific work environment assessment.
