What should be included in the incident report elements?

• A. Who, what, where, when, why, how.
• B. Actions taken and outcomes.
• C. Who, what, where, when, why, how, actions taken, outcomes, and related evidence or attachments.
• D. Only the date.

Answer: (C)

Incident reports should include a complete set of elements: who was involved, what happened, where it happened, when it happened, why it happened, how it unfolded, the actions taken, the outcomes, and any related evidence or attachments. This full package makes the report thorough, verifiable, and useful for investigations, accountability, and prevention efforts. If only the basic 5W’s and how are captured, essential context about responses and results is missing. If only actions taken and outcomes are recorded, you lose the critical background that explains what led up to the incident. If you record only the date, almost all important details are omitted.