What This Guide Covers
This guide explains how to create, edit, and manage Incident Sections in Comply Flow.
Incident Sections are the building blocks of your incident forms, helping you organise questions into logical and easy-to-navigate groups.
What Are Incident Sections?
Think of Incident Sections as chapters in a book. Each section groups related questions, making incident reporting structured and intuitive.
Common Examples
Incident Details - Basic information about when and where the incident occurred
Investigation - Questions about how the incident was investigated
Root Cause Analysis - Analysis of what caused the incident
Witness Information - Details about people who saw the incident
Corrective Actions - Steps taken to prevent recurrence
Each section can contain multiple questions and appears as a separate area in your incident form.
How to Access Incident Sections
1. Log into ComplyFlow
2. Navigate to Incident > Admin
3. Select Incident Section in the submenu
You'll see a list of all sections configured for your organisation.
Creating a New Section
Follow these steps to create a new incident section:
1. On the Incident Section list page, select Add in the top right corner.
2. Enter the Section details. You'll see a form with the following fields:
a. Name (Required) - enter a clear, descriptive name for your section.
Examples:
Incident Details
Witness Statements
Environmental Factors
Equipment Involved
Tips:
Keep names short and clear
Use consistent naming across sections
Avoid abbreviations unless they're widely understood
b. Section Type (Optional - Choose ONE) - you may assign a special function to the section using the checkboxes.
Important: Only one checkbox can be selected. These options are mutually exclusive.
Checkbox | Purpose | Use For | Example |
Add Another | Allows duplication of the section within a single incident | Witnesses, multiple locations, multiple equipment items | A Witness section that can be added per witness |
Contributing Factor | Used for capturing contributing factors to the incident | Root causes, environmental conditions, human factors | A Contributing Factors section listing underlying issues |
Corrective Action | Contains corrective or preventive actions | Mitigation steps, follow-up actions, risk controls | A section outlining actions required to prevent recurrence |
Investigation | Part of the investigation stage | Evidence, findings, timelines | A section capturing formal investigation details |
If no checkbox is selected, the section will be a standard single-use section.
3. Select Add to create your section.
You'll be redirected back to the section list, and your new section will appear in the list.
Editing an Existing Section
To modify a section you've already created:
1. Go to Incident > Admin > Incident Section
2. Find the section you want to edit in the list
3. Select Action > Edit
4. Make your changes to the name or checkboxes
5. Select Edit to save your changes
Warning: Changing a section name will update it everywhere it appears, including in existing incident reports.
Deleting a Section
Before You Delete
Important: Deleting a section may affect your incident forms if:
Questions are linked to this section
Incident types are configured to use this section
Existing incidents reference this section
How to Delete
Go to Incident > Admin > Incident Section
Find the section you want to delete
Select Action > Delete
Confirm the deletion when prompted
Understanding Section Types in Detail
1. Standard Sections - No checkboxes selected.
Appears once per incident
Contains general questions
Best for: Incident Details, Location Information, Initial Response
2. Add Another Sections - use this when users may need to enter multiple sets of similar information.
Best for:
Multiple witnesses
Multiple injured persons
Several equipment items
Multiple locations
3. "Is Contributing Factor" Sections - use this checkbox when the section documents factors that contributed to the incident.
Use this when:
The section identifies root causes
You want to list contributing conditions
You need to capture behavioural, environmental, or systemic factors
Example Questions in This Section:
What factors contributed to the incident?
Were there unsafe conditions or actions?
What underlying issues played a role?
4. Is Corrective Actions Sections - use this for sections containing corrective actions, controls, and mitigation measures.
Use this when:
The section describes actions taken to address the issue
You want to track corrective tasks separately
The section includes preventive or mitigation actions
Example Questions in This Section:
What actions will address this issue?
What long-term controls will be implemented?
Who is responsible for completing each action?
5. Investigation" Sections - designate sections that are part of the formal investigation process.
Use this when:
The section is only completed during investigation
Questions require investigation findings
You want to separate investigation details from initial report
Example Questions in This Section:
What did the investigation reveal?
Evidence collected
Investigation timeline
Investigator findings
Best Practices for Organising Sections
A. Use Logical Grouping - Group related questions together in sections that make sense.
Good Example:
"Incident Details" - Date, time, location, description
"People Involved" - Injured persons, witnesses
"Equipment" - Tools, machinery, vehicles involved
Poor Example:
"Section 1" - Random mix of questions about time, equipment, and witnesses
"Section 2" - Another random mix
B. Follow a Natural Flow - Arrange sections in the order people would naturally complete them.
Recommended Order:
Basic incident information (what, when, where)
People involved (injured, witnesses)
Detailed description
Immediate response
Investigation (if applicable)
Root cause analysis
Corrective actions/recommendations
C. Keep Sections Focused - Each section should have a clear, single purpose.
Good:
"Environmental Conditions" - Weather, lighting, noise, etc.
"Equipment Involved" - Tools, machinery, safety equipment
Poor:
"Miscellaneous" - Random questions that don't fit elsewhere
D. Use Consistent Naming - Develop a naming convention and stick to it across all sections.
Examples:
"Location Details" not "Where It Happened"
"Witness Information" not "People Who Saw It"
"Equipment Involved" not "Stuff That Was Used"
E. Consider Your Audience - Create sections that make sense to the people filling out incident forms.
Ask yourself:
Will users understand what goes in this section?
Is the section name clear and unambiguous?
Does this grouping help or confuse users?
F. Plan for Add Another Sections - If information might repeat (witnesses, equipment, locations), use Add Another sections.
Use Add Another for:
Witnesses (multiple people may have seen it)
Injured persons (more than one person might be hurt)
Equipment (multiple items might be involved)
Locations (incident might span multiple areas)
Don't use Add Another for:
Basic incident information (only one date/time)
Overall description (only one description needed)
Investigation summary (one summary per incident)
Common Questions
Can I change a section's type after creating it?
Yes, you can edit the section and change which checkbox is ticked. However, this may affect how existing incidents display the section.
Can I reorder sections?
Section ordering is typically managed separately, often when configuring incident types. Check Guide 4 (Configuring Incident Types) for information about section ordering.
How many sections should I have?
There's no fixed rule, but typically organisations have between 5-15 sections. Too few makes forms cluttered; too many makes them overwhelming.
Can I have duplicate section names?
While the system might allow it, it's not recommended as it confuses users. Use unique, descriptive names for each section.
Troubleshooting
Problem: I can't see the "Add" button
Solution: Check that you have Incident Admin permission and Read/Write access to the Incident module.
Problem: My section doesn't appear in incident forms
Solution: Sections need to be linked to incident types and contain questions to appear. See Guide 3 (Managing Questions) and Guide 4 (Configuring Incident Types).
Problem: The checkboxes aren't working properly
Solution: Remember, only one checkbox can be ticked at a time. The checkboxes are mutually exclusive by design.