Safety Observations
The Observations module in SHARD captures what people see on site — unsafe conditions, near misses, positive behaviours, and improvement ideas — so HSE can triage, respond, and close the loop with evidence.
Purpose
Observations give every worker a lightweight way to report safety signals before they become incidents. Each record holds what was seen, where, who reported it, and how HSE reviewed and resolved it — supporting daily safety conversations and management visibility without replacing your formal incident process.
Who uses this
- Reporters — anyone on site who records what they observe
- Reviewers / HSE — triage observations, assign review, and decide resolution
- Supervisors — follow up on actions in the field and confirm fixes
- Management — monitor trends and overdue review (within what your pilot reporting exposes)
Typical workflow
- A reporter creates an observation with type, title, description, date, and location.
- Photos or files are attached when available.
- The record starts in Open status.
- HSE starts review, assigns a reviewer, and records triage notes.
- The observation moves to Under review while assessed.
- HSE either returns it to the reporter for more information, resolves it with resolution notes and action taken, or escalates to an incident when warranted.
- Resolved observations can be archived when no further follow-up is needed.
Reporting an observation
Create-entry through submit, ending on a submitted observation detail record.
- 1
Step 1
Step 1
Observations overview KPI tiles and the list orient you to open, under review, and action-required observations before creating a new record.
- 2
Step 2
Step 2
Create observation Use New Observation to open the reporting form for near misses, unsafe conditions, and improvement ideas.
- 3
Step 3
Step 3
Classification and severity Choose observation type, category, and risk level — these drive triage queues and downstream actions.
- 4
Step 4
Step 4
Description and location Enter a clear title, detailed description, and where the observation occurred. Demo captures use the deterministic title “Demo safety observation for help documentation”.
- 5
Step 5
Step 5
Submit observation Submit saves the observation and routes it into the review workflow. Cancel returns without creating a record.
- 6
Final step
Final step
Observation record detail The saved observation shows number, status, reporter, location, and recommended actions — the controlled record after submission.
Roles and responsibilities
- Reporter — describes the observation accurately; responds if HSE requests clarification.
- Assigned reviewer — owns triage and resolution within agreed HSE timelines.
- HSE lead — decides when an observation must escalate to incident management or linked actions.
- Supervisor — implements immediate fixes on site and confirms controls are in place.
Evidence / attachments
Capture enough context for someone who was not on site to understand the issue:
- Clear title and description of what was observed
- Location, date, and observation type (for example near miss, unsafe act/condition, positive observation)
- Photos or supporting files
- Triage notes, rejection reasons, resolution notes, and action taken (required on status transitions)
- Status timeline showing who moved the record and when
Status lifecycle
- Open — newly reported; awaiting HSE triage
- Under review — assigned reviewer is assessing and deciding next steps
- Resolved — closed with documented resolution and actions taken
- Archived — filed after resolution or when marked invalid with a documented reason
Transitions require documented notes and appropriate permissions. Observations cannot jump directly from open to resolved — review is part of the controlled workflow. Resolved records can be reopened if new information appears.
What pilot users should do
- Report observations in REACTOR as they happen — especially near misses and unsafe conditions.
- Use photos and precise locations so HSE can act without chasing context.
- Do not treat a resolved observation as a substitute for a recordable incident; escalate when someone was hurt, could have been hurt seriously, or site rules require formal investigation.
- Track linked follow-up actions in the Action Tracker when corrective work spans teams or dates.
- Flag missing observation types, review queues, or notification gaps to your process owner and Cerb.works for pilot configuration updates.
Where to open it in REACTOR
- SHARD → Observations — list, filter, and open records
- Create a new observation from the list view or detail drawer actions
- Related: Incident Management for escalations, Action Tracker for follow-up tasks