Incident Book
The traditional written log of incidents at a licensed venue, increasingly replaced by structured digital incident reporting systems.
An incident book is the traditional handwritten log of incidents at a licensed venue: assaults, ejections, drug-related events, medical emergencies, capacity issues, and noise complaints. Most premises licences include a condition requiring an incident log, either explicitly or implicitly. The format the licence specifies (or expects) is usually a "book" historically, but licensing committees now accept and increasingly prefer structured digital systems. Understanding what an incident book is intended to capture helps explain why a digital structured-form approach generally produces better evidence at review.
Key Points
- Incident books are the traditional log of incidents at licensed venues.
- Most premises licences require an incident log either explicitly or through related conditions.
- Paper books fail in three ways: illegible handwriting, lost pages, and amendable entries.
- Licensing committees increasingly accept structured digital systems as equivalent.
- Digital systems with append-only amendments produce stronger evidence at review.
What an incident book is for
The incident book is the venue's contemporaneous record of unusual or serious events. It serves three purposes. First, internal review: the manager reads it the next day and decides what action is needed. Second, police follow-up: when police investigate an incident, they ask for the venue's record. Third, licensing review: when a review is triggered, the incident book is the primary evidence of how the venue responds to problems.
The limitations of paper books
Three failure modes. Handwriting can be illegible, and busy door supervisors at 2am do not always write clearly. Pages get lost or damaged: spilled drinks, water damage, and lost books are common. Entries can be amended without an audit trail: someone can rewrite an entry the next day, or whole pages can be quietly replaced. None of these failure modes inspire confidence in licensing committees or police licensing teams.
How licensing committees now treat incident logs
Where the operating schedule specifies an "incident book" or an "incident log", licensing committees increasingly accept structured digital systems as equivalent or better. The shift is driven by case law and by the practical realities of police follow-up. A digital system with structured fields, append-only amendments, and exportable reports lets the venue produce date-range evidence in seconds. The book on the manager's desk does not.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is an incident book legally required?
Most premises licences include a condition requiring an incident log either explicitly or implicitly through other conditions (Challenge 25, drug policies, dispersal). The format is usually open: paper book or digital system, both can satisfy the condition.
Can I replace my paper incident book with a digital system?
In most cases yes, provided the digital system captures everything the operating schedule expects (structured fields, timestamps, attribution to staff member, and append-only amendments). If your operating schedule explicitly specifies "a written incident book", a minor variation may be needed to formally update the language.
How long should I keep incident records?
There is no single statutory retention period. Practical guidance: at least 7 years to support civil claims. For incidents involving children or vulnerable adults, retain longer in line with safeguarding policies. For incidents that triggered a prosecution, retain for the life of the case plus appeals.
What's the difference between an incident book and an incident report?
An incident book is the bound chronological log; an incident report is a single record of one incident. Most modern systems combine them: each incident is a structured record (the report) and the chronological list of all reports forms the equivalent of the book.
Ready to simplify your compliance?
Start your free 14-day trial and see how Paddl makes food safety management effortless.