ACCIDENT

INVESTIGATION

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Accidents are CAUSED…they do
not just happen!
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Accident Investigation
•A methodical effort to collect and interpret
the facts of accident.
•An inquiry as to how and why the accident
occurred in order to explore actions that
should be taken to prevent or minimize
recurrence of the accident.
•Most important thing- Investigation is not
intended to place blame.

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Purposes of Accident Investigation

•To establish all facts

•To draw conclusion
•To make recommendations
•To prevent recurrence
 Reasons Why Accidents
Are Not Reported
• Natural fear many people have of being
associated with an accident event.
• Idea of investigating a situation that has
resulted in some degree of loss
• Reflect unfavorably on their own performance
or that of their department.
• Simply do not wish to interrupt work
production
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Types of Accident
to be Reported
• Fatal Accidents
• Accident-causing injury or illness
• Diseases
• Dangerous occurrences
• Near misses

https://images.app.goo.gl/G3cvpvMzktf4hHLCA
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Who Should Conduct Accident
Investigation?
•Supervisors
• More familiar with the people involved
• Have a better understanding of the
operation
• Know all safe work practices/rules
pertaining to his/her job
• Employees may be willing to speak more
freely
• Have a personal stake in the investigation
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Who Should Conduct
Accident Investigation?
•Safety Officer/Man
• Serves as secretary of the safety and health committee
• Coordinates all safety and health programs for the
employer and employees
• Conducts safety and health inspections as member of
the SH committee
• Conducts investigation of accident as member of the
SH Committee
• Maintains or help in the maintenance of efficient
accident record system
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Investigation is a 4 Step Process

Accident 1. Control the Scene

3. Analyze Data 2. Gather DATA

4. Write
Report

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Control the Scene
• Provide medical care for injured
• First Aid
• On Scene Evaluation
• Transport for Medical Care
• Control existing hazards
• Prevent further injuries
• Get more help if needed
• Preserve evidence

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 Gathering Information

Sketches Equipment
Witness es
and Maps Examination

Material
Records Accident
Failure
Check Photography
Analysis
Analyze Data

• Gather all photos, drawings, interview

material and other information
collected at the scene.
• Determine a clear picture of what
happened
• Formally document sequence of events

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Data Analysis List

• Accident Title
• Date, Time, Location
• Persons involved
• Witnesses
• Work & Environmental Conditions at time
of accident
• Immediate actions taken at scene

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Determine Causes
• Employee actions
• Safe behavior, at-risk behavior
• Environmental conditions
• Lighting, heat/cold,
moisture/humidity, dust, vapors,
etc.
• Equipment condition
• Defective/operational, guards,
leaks, broken parts, etc.
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Determine Causes

• Procedures
• Existing (or not), followed (or not),
appropriate (or not)
• Training
• Was employee trained - when, by
whom, documentation

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Change Analysis

• What was not normal before the

accident
• Where the abnormality occurred
• When was it first noted
• How it occurred

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Find Root Causes
• When you have determined
the contributing factors, dig
deeper!
• If employee error, what caused
that behavior?
• If defective machine, why
wasn’t it fixed?
• If poor lighting, why not
corrected?
• If no training, why was it?

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Make Recommendations
• Determine corrective actions
• Recommendations based on key
contributory factors and underlying/root
causes;
• Select the ones likely to be most effective,
most cost beneficial and most acceptable
• Establish time table;
• Recommendation(s) must be communicated
clearly.

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Prepare A Report
•Accident Reports should contain
the following:
• Description of the incident and
injuries
• Sequence of events
• Pertinent facts discovered during
the investigation
• Conclusions of the investigator(s)
• Recommendations for correcting the
problem(s)
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Implement and Follow up
• Implement corrective actions as soon
as possible
• Monitor implementation of corrective
actions as to their effectiveness
• Conduct follow up and review

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Investigation Traps
• Put your emotions aside!
• Don’t let your feelings interfere - stick to the facts!
• Don’t be subjective.
• Do not pre-judge.
• Find out the what really happened.
• Do not let your beliefs cloud the facts.
• Never assume anything.
• Assign cause, not blame.
• Do not use names in recommendations if
referring to an individual’s actions.
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End of Module.

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