The purpose of this policy is to ensure that incidents are reported promptly, handled appropriately and used to improve future events.
An incident is any event that has caused, or could have caused, harm, disruption, loss, damage or reputational risk.
Incident reporting is not about blame. It is about safety, accountability and learning. The earlier something is reported, the easier it is to manage.
This policy applies to volunteers, crew, contractors, traders, partners, guests and attendees.
1. Purpose
This policy sets out how incidents and near misses should be reported and how we respond. It exists to protect people, support effective event delivery and enable continuous improvement.
2. What Is an Incident
An incident includes any situation that affects, or could reasonably have affected, the safety, wellbeing, dignity or smooth running of the event.
Examples include (but are not limited to):
- injury or medical issues
- near misses or unsafe conditions
- safeguarding concerns
- aggressive, threatening or inappropriate behaviour
- property damage or loss
- security concerns
- operational failures that create risk or disruption
- accessibility barriers or breakdowns in reasonable adjustments
- data or confidentiality concerns connected to event operations
It is not necessary to decide whether something “counts” before reporting it. If it feels like a risk, it should be raised.
Near misses are particularly important. If something almost went wrong, that is valuable information and should be reported.
3. Immediate and Emergency Situations
Where there is an immediate risk to safety, urgent action must be taken.
This means contacting a team lead or event control without delay and, where appropriate, contacting venue staff or calling emergency services.
The online reporting system must never replace urgent escalation. Safety comes first. Administration comes second.
4. Non-Emergency Reporting
Where an incident does not require immediate intervention, it should be reported through the incident reporting function within the user account area.
Reports should be factual and clear. Where possible, they should include:
- what happened
- where and when it occurred
- who was involved (if known)
- what action has already been taken
- whether the issue is ongoing
Reports should avoid speculation and focus on observable facts.
Anonymous reports may be considered, although anonymity can limit follow-up and investigation.
5. Our Approach to Incident Management
Our approach is constructive, proportionate and informed by learning-based safety models, including aviation human factors principles.
In complex environments, incidents rarely result from a single cause. They usually arise from a combination of environmental conditions, system design, communication gaps, time pressure or human error.
For that reason, our default approach is to understand what happened and why, rather than to assign blame. We focus on identifying contributory factors, reducing the likelihood of recurrence and acting proportionately.
Where deliberate misconduct or serious negligence is involved, this will be addressed appropriately. However, most safety improvements come from honest reporting of everyday issues.
6. Review and Outcomes
Incident reports may be reviewed by event organisers or designated leads. This may involve clarifying facts, speaking to relevant individuals and assessing risk and impact.
Outcomes will depend on the nature and seriousness of the incident. These may include corrective steps, changes to layout or procedures, additional briefing or training, or escalation under another relevant policy such as Safeguarding or the Grievance and Complaints Policy.
Where required by law or where serious harm has occurred, matters may be referred to external authorities.
All decisions will be proportionate and focused on preventing recurrence.
7. Psychological Safety and Reporting Culture
We actively encourage reporting in good faith.
Individuals should feel able to report incidents or near misses without fear of embarrassment, blame or retaliation. A culture where people are reluctant to report concerns is a greater risk than the incident itself.
Retaliation against someone who reports a concern in good faith is not acceptable.
Knowingly false or malicious reports may be treated as misconduct.
8. Confidentiality and Data Protection
Incident reports will be handled with appropriate discretion. Information will be shared only with those who need to know in order to manage safety, comply with legal obligations or implement improvements.
Records will be retained and processed in line with our Privacy Policy: https://feeltheforceday.com/privacy-policy/.
9. Learning and Continuous Improvement
Incident reporting forms part of a wider improvement system.
After events, themes and patterns may be reviewed to identify recurring risks, layout challenges, training needs or communication gaps. Individual names are less important than understanding how systems can be improved.
Where appropriate, anonymised learning may be shared with volunteers and crew so that improvements are transparent and collective.
Safety improvement is continuous. Each report contributes to that process.
10. Suggested Improvements
Separate from incident reporting, users may submit suggested improvements through their account.
Suggested improvements are proactive. They are not complaints and do not imply that something has already gone wrong. They may relate to safety, accessibility, inclusion, operations or volunteer experience.
Not every suggestion can be implemented, but reasonable suggestions will be reviewed as part of ongoing event development.
11. Relationship With Other Policies
This policy should be read alongside:
- Health & Safety (including event-specific risk assessments)
- Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Psychological Safety Policy
- Grievance and Complaints Policy
- Safeguarding policies
- Privacy Policy
Where an incident overlaps with safeguarding, discrimination or misconduct, the relevant policy will also apply.
12. Responsibility
Event organisers are responsible for maintaining accessible reporting systems, reviewing incidents proportionately and acting on credible risks.
All volunteers, crew and participants share responsibility for reporting safety concerns promptly and honestly.
13. Acknowledgement
Volunteers and crew may be required to confirm that they have read and understood this Incident Reporting Policy before participating in an event.
Related policies and terms can be found here: https://feeltheforceday.com/policies-and-terms-conditions/.