LOCAL RULES: FLA. STAT. 440.185

Florida incident report requirements

Your Florida incident report has 6 rules to meet. ReportDraft puts every one on your checklist and checks your draft before you sign.

  • First aid cases: who it was reported to and when, the cause, and the body part
  • The DWC-1 to the claim administrator within 7 days, for anything beyond first aid
  • A copy of the DWC-1 to the employee
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Florida employers follow federal OSHA recordkeeping and add the state workers' compensation rules: a record of every injury, a Form DFS-F2-DWC-1 to the claim administrator within 7 days for anything beyond first aid, a copy to the employee, and a 24-hour call for a death. Here is each Florida rule with a link to the Florida Statutes and the Division's rule, and what a Florida incident report should record.

Last reviewed October 15, 2026 against the official sources listed below.

Incident reportFLORIDA / SAMPLE

Sample notes, 140 words

Company: Northgate Fabrication
Site: 1840 Industrial Pkwy, shipping dock 2
Date: 10/08/2026, about 2:15pm
Injured: Luis Romero, material handler, warehouse crew
Supervisor: Tom Reilly
...
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6 Florida rules on your checklist, including first aid cases: who it was reported to and when, the cause, and the body part.

Still to add

  • NeededType of incident
  • NeededCompleted by
  • RecommendedNotes for damage to property, equipment or the environment

Filled in for you

Company or organizationNorthgate Fabrication
Site address or location1840 Industrial Pkwy, shipping dock 2
Date of the incidentOct 8, 2026
Employee or person involved (full name)Luis Romero, material handler, warehouse crew
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What Florida requires

  • Employers record all industrial injuries and diseases. For a first aid case that need not be reported to the claim administrator, the record holds the employee's name, an identifying number, the date and time, the employee's occupation, who the injury was reported to and when, a description of the accident including its cause, the injury and body part affected, and the location if not the employer's addressFla. Admin. Code 69L-56.401 (1) (a)
  • Every case except first aid (medical only, lost time or death) is reported to the employer's claim administrator on Form DFS-F2-DWC-1 within 7 days after the employer learns of it, without waiting for the employee's signature; a first aid case that later needs medical care or time off is reported within 7 days of learning of the changeFla. Admin. Code 69L-56.401 (2) (a), (b) · Fla. Stat. 440.185 (2) (2026)
  • When the employer sends the DWC-1 it gives a copy to the employee or the employee's estate; the report states the employer's name, address and business, the employee's details and occupation, the cause and nature of the injury, and the year, month, day, hour and place it occurredFla. Stat. 440.185 (2) (a) to (d) · Fla. Admin. Code 69L-56.401 (2) (c)
  • If an injury or illness results in death, besides the 7-day report the employer notifies the Division of Workers' Compensation by telephone or other means within 24 hours of learning of the death (1-800-219-8953, fax 850-413-1979, or the Division's fatality report email)Fla. Admin. Code 69L-56.401 (2) (d)
  • An employer that fails to notify the carrier of an injury within the 7 days on the prescribed form or by letter can be fined up to 500 dollars for each failure, paid by the employer and not the carrierFla. Stat. 440.185 (8)
  • An injured employee tells the employer within 30 days after the injury or its first manifestation; missing the deadline bars a claim unless the employer knew, the cause needed a medical opinion, the employer did not post the required notice, or exceptional circumstances applyFla. Stat. 440.185 (1)
  • When an employee reports an injury, the employer or carrier gives the employee written notice of the Employee Assistance and Ombudsman Office's services and contacts, and the carrier mails the injured worker the Department's informational brochure within 3 business days of learning of the injuryFla. Stat. 440.185 (3), (10)
  • Unless the parties agree, the injury reports are not evidence of any fact stated in them in a proceeding about the claim, except qualified medical reportsFla. Stat. 440.185 (5)

First aid cases: the employer's record

Record every industrial injury and disease. For a first aid case that does not go to the claim administrator, keep the employee's name and an identifying number, the date and time, the occupation, who the injury was reported to and when, what happened and why, the injury and body part, and the location if it was not at your address.

The DWC-1 within 7 days

Anything beyond first aid (medical only, lost time or death) goes to your claim administrator on Form DFS-F2-DWC-1 within 7 days after you learn of it. Do not wait for the employee's signature. If a first aid case later needs medical care or time off, report it within 7 days of learning that. Give the employee a copy. A late report can bring a fine of up to 500 dollars that the employer pays.

Deaths: 24 hours

If an injury or illness causes a death, tell the Division of Workers' Compensation within 24 hours of learning of it, by phone at 1-800-219-8953, by fax or by the Division's fatality email, as well as filing the 7-day report.

The employee's side

Employees have 30 days to tell the employer about an injury. When they do, they get written notice of the Employee Assistance and Ombudsman Office, and the carrier mails them an informational brochure. Injury reports are not evidence of the facts in them unless the parties agree.

From field notes to a finished Florida report

Note what happened, the body part, who you told and when, and whether it needed only first aid, medical treatment or time off. ReportDraft writes the incident up with the details the first aid log needs and keeps fields for the case type, the DWC-1 and the employee's copy.

Common mistakes

  • Holding the DWC-1 until the employee signs it.
  • Not reporting a first aid case once it turns into a doctor visit or time off.
  • Not giving the employee a copy of the DWC-1.
  • Missing the 24-hour call to the Division for a death.
  • No record of who the injury was reported to and when.

Sources

Last reviewed October 15, 2026. Next review due January 15, 2027. This page explains published rules to help you write your report. It is not legal advice; the official text linked above governs.