Quality event triage process flowchart
An editable quality event triage workflow for logging facts, applying immediate safeguards, classifying an event, routing investigation or correction work and escalating material impact.
What the quality event triage process is
A triage process helps a laboratory respond consistently when the available facts are still incomplete. It begins by recording the event and any immediate safeguards, then classifies the work and evidence needed instead of prematurely deciding what caused it.
The chart separates events that require a formal investigation from those that can receive a documented local correction. A later impact decision makes escalation to governance or affected stakeholders explicit when the initial classification is not enough.
Customize event types, impact criteria, notification paths and records to your quality system. The workflow is not a universal severity scale or a substitute for local safety and reporting procedures.
What this flowchart covers
In this template
- A reporter captures the known facts and applies immediate safeguards at intake.
- Quality triage decides whether containment is needed before event classification.
- The formal investigation route remains separate from a documented correction path.
- An impact-based escalation decision identifies when governance or stakeholders need notification.
When to use this template
- You need a first-response workflow for laboratory quality events, observations, discrepancies or concerns.
- Different teams currently classify the same type of event differently or lose track of who owns the next step.
- You want to connect event intake to investigation, correction and escalation without assuming every event follows one route.
How it works
Set intake facts
Define the event details, affected work, immediate controls and supporting evidence that a reporter can capture without making a technical conclusion.
Align routing criteria
Connect investigation, correction and escalation decisions to the approved local criteria and the owners who can make those calls.
Link next processes
Point the investigation and action boxes to the specific processes, forms or systems that receive the handoff in your laboratory.
Frequently asked questions
What does a quality event triage process flowchart cover?
It covers intake, immediate safeguards, classification, the choice between investigation and correction, impact-based escalation, and a retained record of the triage decision and next steps.
Is triage the same as an investigation?
No. Triage records what is known, applies initial controls and routes the event. An investigation examines the event in more depth when the local criteria call for that work.
Who should own a quality event after triage?
The owner depends on the event and local governance. The template makes the assignment visible so a handoff to an investigator, process owner or escalation group is documented rather than implied.