In brief
An occupational accident report is a record, without interpretation, of the facts observed immediately after the accident; root cause analysis and SGK notification are based on this record. Witnesses should be heard separately, on the same day and without leading questions; statements should be written in the person's own words, read back to them and signed. A consistent file supported by photographs, a sketch and a document list is the strongest evidence in any expert examination.
What is an occupational accident report, and how does it differ from other documents?
The information gathered in the first hours after an accident is the basis of every later assessment. An occupational accident report is the document in which the facts observed at the scene and the initial information are put in writing immediately after the event. It contains no interpretation, assessment of fault or root cause; these are the subject of the investigation report prepared later.
Art. 14/1 of Law No. 6331 on Occupational Health and Safety gives the employer the obligation to keep a record of all occupational accidents, carry out the necessary investigations and prepare reports. The legislation does not set a template for the report; its quality therefore depends entirely on the workplace's method. You can distinguish what each post-accident document is for as follows:
| Document | When? | Who prepares it? | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accident findings report | First hours | OHS specialist or department manager | To record the facts at the scene |
| Witness statement records | The same day if possible | An impartial person, preferably the specialist | To take what was seen in the person's own words |
| Photo list and sketch | First hours | Specialist or a designated person | To preserve spatial evidence |
| Accident investigation report | First days | Specialist, physician, employer's representative | To identify root causes and corrective actions |
| SGK occupational accident notification | Within 3 working days at the latest | Employer | Statutory notification |
We described the general flow after an accident in our article on what to do after an occupational accident, and SGK notification in our article on SGK occupational accident e-notification. This article focuses only on the report, witness statements, photographs and the sketch.
Scene findings: what is recorded in the first hours?
Response comes first: first aid for the casualty, stopping the hazard, 112 if necessary. Under Art. 13 of Law No. 5510, an occupational accident is notified immediately to the local police; the police may also examine the scene themselves. For this reason, the workplace's findings must be made without changing the scene and without obstructing the police's work.
An accident findings report contains at least the following information:
- The date and time of the accident and the time the findings were made (written separately).
- Location: building, department, line, machine number.
- The injured person's name, role and the job they were doing at the time.
- Condition of the equipment: was it running, in which mode, was the energy on, were guards and sensors in place?
- PPE: was it on the injured person, and if not, where was it found?
- Environment: floor, lighting, noise, weather for outdoor areas.
- The position of materials and tools at the scene.
- Data that must be preserved, such as camera footage and machine fault logs.
- People present during and immediately after the event.
Scene photographs and sketch
When taking scene photographs, the aim is for someone who has not seen the scene to be able to understand everything:
- Shoot from general to specific. First the whole department, then the machine or area, finally the detail (broken part, blood stain, removed guard).
- Use a scale. A ruler or tape measure should be visible in detail photographs.
- Photograph before touching. Apart from rescue, nothing is moved before it is photographed.
- Number them. Prepare a photo list containing a number, time and short description for each photograph.
- Keep the originals. Keep the files unedited and uncropped; file information showing the date taken increases their evidential value.
A sketch shows the distances a photograph cannot show. Even if not to scale, it must be measured: the position of the machine, the injured person, the witnesses and materials, the distances between them, entrances and exits, and direction. Marking where the witnesses stood on the sketch makes it possible to assess whether each of them could really have seen the event.
How do you take a witness statement after an occupational accident?
A witness statement is the most fragile information in an occupational accident investigation; as people talk, their memories become mixed. For this reason the method is at least as important as the content:
- Draw up a list of witnesses. Those who saw the event, those who heard the sound, the first responders, the person who last used the machine before the accident and the shift supervisor.
- Hear them separately and early. The same day if possible, before the witnesses talk to each other.
- Choose a neutral setting. Hear the witness in a quiet room, not in front of their supervisor. Say at the outset that the aim is not to find someone to blame but to understand the event.
- Free account first. Begin with "Could you tell me from the beginning what you saw?" and do not interrupt.
- Then open questions. Fill in the gaps with questions that do not lead.
- Write it in their own words. Do not correct the statement or translate it into technical language; also record "I don't know" and "I didn't see" answers.
- Have it read and signed. The witness reads the statement, makes any corrections or additions themselves and signs it. If they decline to sign, this is noted on the record.
- Watch for language barriers. For employees who do not speak Turkish well, use an impartial interpreter and write down the interpreter's name.
| Leading question (avoid) | Open question (prefer) |
|---|---|
| Was the guard open? | What did you see at the front of the machine? |
| Ahmet was in a hurry, wasn't he? | What was happening in the few minutes before the accident? |
| He hadn't put his gloves on, had he? | What equipment was the injured person wearing? |
| Had the belt stopped again? | How was the line running at that time? |
The injured person's statement is taken when their health allows and at a time the physician considers suitable. A statement taken in hospital, in pain or under pressure will be both incomplete and disputed.
Preparing the report for expert examination
When an occupational accident becomes the subject of an investigation or lawsuit, the file is often examined by an expert. The expert does not see the scene; they look at the records the workplace kept on that day. The value of your report depends on how early, impartial and consistent with other documents it is.
Follow these rules when preparing the file:
- Write the date, time and the name and title of the author on every document. A document where it is not clear who wrote it and when is weak.
- Make corrections with a supplementary record, not by deleting. Information learned later enters the file through a separate, dated supplementary record.
- Leave contradictions as they are. Two witnesses' different accounts are not an error to be corrected but a finding to be investigated.
- Attach the relevant records. Training records, the induction record, examination results, PPE issue records, the equipment's periodic inspection and maintenance records, the work permit, the instruction and the relevant line in the risk assessment. Findings previously written in the approved logbook are also part of the file; for their importance see our article on findings and recommendations in the approved logbook.
- Do not prepare backdated documents. A training form or instruction prepared after the accident with a backdated date damages the credibility of all the documents in the file.
- Keep the file in one place. Prepare an attachment list for the photographs, statements, sketch and attachments; keep the originals.
As an occupational accident report example, the fields of the findings report can be arranged as follows:
| Field | Example content |
|---|---|
| Accident no. | 2026/07 |
| Date and time | Accident: 14.10; findings: 14.45 |
| Location | Press department, eccentric press no. 3 |
| Injured person and role | Press operator, working on the same machine for 4 months |
| Observed situation | Right hand trapped between die and bed; right control button fixed down with tape |
| Equipment and energy | Machine in single-stroke mode; energy isolated by the department manager after the event |
| PPE | Work gloves and safety shoes being worn |
| Witnesses | Operator of the adjacent press, shift supervisor |
| Attachments | 14 photographs, 1 sketch, 2 witness statements |
| Prepared by and signatures | OHS specialist, department manager, employee representative |
The information gathered becomes input to the root cause analysis; for an analysis that does not stop at the answer "carelessness", see our article on root cause analysis methods. Using the same format for near misses makes it easier to compare incidents.
The cost of the recording and notification obligations
The 2026 basic administrative fine for not keeping records of occupational accidents and occupational diseases is 33,326 TL. The fine for not notifying the SGK of an occupational accident on time is 44,443 TL, and this fine is imposed by the SGK. For other items, see our OHS administrative fines tool.
In businesses in Bursa and the surrounding provinces, Bursa Sistemer OSGB, as part of its OHS specialist service, handles the preparation of the post-accident findings report, witness statements and investigation report, and shares a ready-made report template for initial findings with department managers in advance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who signs the occupational accident report?
The person who prepared the report and those who took part in the findings sign it; usually the OHS specialist, the department manager and the employee representative if there is one. Witness statements are signed by the witness themselves on separate records.
What if a witness does not want to give a statement?
The witness is not pressured. The fact that the interview took place, that the witness did not wish to give a statement, and the date and time are noted on the record. Explaining that the aim is to understand the event rather than to find fault removes most reservations.
Are the accident findings report and the SGK notification the same thing?
No. The report is the workplace's own record and contains the facts of the event. The SGK notification is the statutory notification the employer must make within 3 working days at the latest; the information in the report helps fill in the notification correctly.
If the injured person said "it was my carelessness", is that what goes in the report?
The injured person's words are written in their statement in their own sentences. Only observed facts go into the findings report; "carelessness" is not a cause but a conclusion that needs to be investigated.
A certified specialist matched to your hazard class: site inspections, approved logbook, training plan, annual plan and report follow-up.
Bursa SİSTEMER OSGB Technical Team — written from the field experience of our OHS specialists and workplace physicians. Legal information is valid as of the publication/update date; contact us for an assessment specific to your business.