February 2026
What happens after an incident?
After a workplace incident, the immediate focus is often on physical injuries, reporting procedures, and corrective actions. While these are essential, one equally important step is often overlooked: talking to someone about what happened.
Incidents — whether minor accidents, near misses, or serious events — can have a lasting psychological impact. Employees may experience shock, anxiety, guilt, anger, or loss of confidence.
Left unaddressed, these feelings can develop into longer-term stress, reduced performance, absenteeism, or even symptoms of trauma. Creating space for open conversation helps prevent these effects from escalating.
Speaking to a manager, colleague, or trained mental health first aider allows individuals to process what happened in a safe and supportive environment. It reassures them that their wellbeing matters just as much as procedural compliance. Early conversations also help identify whether additional support may be needed, such as time away from certain tasks or referral to professional services.
From an organisational perspective, encouraging dialogue strengthens safety culture. It reinforces the message that incidents are opportunities for learning, not blame. Employees are more likely to report near misses and hazards when they feel heard and supported, which ultimately reduces future risk.
Talking after an incident is not about dwelling on the event — it is about recovery, reflection, and resilience. By prioritising both physical and psychological wellbeing, organisations demonstrate genuine commitment to health and safety in its fullest sense.
In the moment, adrenaline takes over. Training kicks in, and the focus is entirely on preserving life. However, once the situation has stabilised, it’s common for delayed emotional reactions to surface. Individuals who have performed CPR may experience shock, self-doubt, replaying of events, difficulty sleeping, or persistent “what if” thoughts. This can happen regardless of the outcome.
Talking to someone afterwards is an important part of recovery. A supportive conversation with a manager, colleague, or trained mental health first aider provides an opportunity to process what happened in a safe, non-judgemental space. It allows the individual to reflect on their actions, ask questions, and gain reassurance about the steps they took. In many cases, simply being reminded that they acted quickly and followed their training can significantly reduce feelings of guilt or uncertainty.
From an organisational perspective, encouraging post-incident conversations demonstrates genuine care for staff wellbeing. Performing CPR is not “just part of the job” — it is a high-impact event that can affect even experienced professionals. A short debrief and check-in can make a significant difference to emotional resilience and long-term confidence.
Providing space to talk reinforces a positive safety culture — one that recognises both the physical and psychological impact of emergency situations. Supporting those who step forward in critical moments is not only good practice; it is an essential part of responsible health and safety management.
Recently, it was a genuine privilege to support a client who had been involved in a serious incident. Not to review paperwork. Not to audit compliance. Simply to talk. To listen. To empathise. To give them space to process what they had experienced.
Organisations are becoming better at managing the practical and legal aspects of incidents. However, the emotional impact on individuals is often overlooked. Shock, self-doubt, replaying events, “what if” thinking — these reactions are entirely human. Yet many people feel they should simply “get on with it”.
Creating space for open conversation is not weakness. It is leadership.
Sometimes support doesn’t mean having all the answers. It means being present. It means allowing someone to reflect without judgement. It means recognising that managing trauma is part of managing safety.
Health and safety is not just about compliance — it’s about people.
I’m grateful to have been trusted to be part of that journey, and it reinforces something I strongly believe: supporting psychological wellbeing after an incident is just as important as investigating the cause.
If we want strong safety cultures, we must be willing to have the conversations that don’t appear in the policy manual.
Do you want to know how we can support you and your organisation through post trauma anxiety – why not contact us today