What should happen after a handling or safety incident?
25 August 2026·1 min read
Follow the shop’s immediate care and emergency protocol. Once the situation is stable, record time, people present, observable events, actions taken, equipment and client communication. Keep opinion separate from fact.
Name who contacts the owner and who manages any professional or workplace reporting required for the circumstances. Review the event with the team without turning the first conversation into blame.
Preserve the timeline, photos where appropriate, equipment, messages, veterinary advice and names of witnesses. Check the regulator for the state or territory promptly. Safe Work Australia explains that a notifiable incident can require immediate notification and preservation of the incident site; the local WHS regulator makes the actual decision and receives the report.
Contact the owner, veterinarian, emergency service, insurer, workers-compensation agent and workplace regulator as the facts require. Don't let a client update substitute for employee care or a required notification.
Before another booking, decide whether handling notes, service eligibility, staffing, equipment or the shop’s service boundary must change.
Incident card: immediate care, observable facts, dog/person status, contacts and times, equipment/site preserved, report/claim references, team debrief, return-to-work action and next-booking decision.
Seglo note: Shared records keep the incident context visible before future work is accepted.