SAFETYCOMMITTEE

VS

Incident
Investigation

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 Learning Objectives

Understand the role and functionality of a safety

committee

Understand basic hazard detection and inspection

methods

Understand (and apply) basic accident & incident

investigation techniques

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 Incident Investigation

OSHA 1994 – REGULATION – SHC SECTION

13(1)
A safety and health committee shall
inspect the place of work, as soon as it is
safe to do so, after any accident, near
miss accident, dangerous occurrence,
occupational poisoning or occupational
disease has occurred at the place of work

3
Hidden Costs of Accidents

• Total Costs = Direct + Indirect Expenses

• Direct (insured) = e.g. wage loss, medical
• Indirect (uninsured, cost to company) = e.g.
downtime, property damage, morale of
injured
worker and others in department, hiring,
training, possible OSHA citations

4
Safety Committee Purpose

• Improve safety & health in the workplace

• Involve employees in the safety function

• Generate ideas for improving safety & health
• Improve employee/management relations
• Stimulate interest among employees

5
Safety Committee Authority

Extent should be determined and communicated to

all employees; e.g.:

 Empowered and endorsed by top management

 Acts as a recommending body
 Investigate accidents/incidents
 Implement changes

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Safety Committee Structure

Single - One workplace, one committee

Centralized – More than one workplace

→ One committee in a central location with

representation for each outlying workplace location

Multiple - More than one workplace

→ Separate individual committees at each workplace

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Safety Committee Structure

Committee Members

Employer – Authority to do one or more:

▪ Select or hire an employee
▪ Remove or terminate an employee
▪ Direct the manner of employee performance
▪ Control the employee

Employee – Does not possess any authority or

responsibility described for the Employer

A person cannot function as both of the above

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 Safety Committee Function

• Purpose: to detect hazards and prevent accidents

& illnesses

• Must have formal (documented) monthly

meetings with Agenda & Minutes:
- Review & update safety training
- Develop safety work practices
- Recommend use of safety equipment/devices
- Accident/incident report reviews
- Action items from reports & safety inspections
- Avenue for employee safety-related issues

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Members’ Responsibilities

• Attend meetings
• Notify all employees in your area that you
are their representative on the Committee
• Be watchful for unsafe conditions and acts
and report them
• Be responsive to people’s concerns; follow up
• Ask employees for safety suggestions and
concerns
• Discuss safety issues with employees
• Offer solutions not just problems

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Managements’ Responsibilities

• Provide support (time, effort, money)

• Resolve scheduling and personal conflicts
• Provide realistic dates for correcting safety and

health concerns
• Support training for Committee members
• Provide leadership and direction
• Attend Committee meetings

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Managements’ Responsibilities

• Promote positive effects of Committee activities

on individual basis or at group meetings
• Respond to recommendations in a timely manner
• Promote safety within the organization

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12
Employees’ Responsibilities

• Identify safety and health hazards

• Report all unsafe conditions and practices
• Make suggestions for improving workplace
safety
• Participate in Committee activities/initiatives
• Follow safe practices/procedures
• Cooperate with Committee members
• Consider becoming a Committee member

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 Committee Chairperson

• Accountable to top management

• Sets the agenda
• Coordinates meetings
• Facilitates meetings
• Ensures agenda is followed
• Ensures everyone is heard

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Successful Safety Committees

• Competent -- dedicated

• Support goals & objectives

• Demonstrate team effort

• Develop mutual trust, respect & support

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 Objectives

Objectives should be: SMART

Specific

Measurable

Attainable

Relevant

Time-limited

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Workplace Safety Committees

Hazard Detection
and
Identification

Is this safe?

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Hazard Detection & Identification

• The following list shows the main ways to

identify hazards:
→ Walkthrough Surveys
→ Inspection Checklists
→ Past Records
→ Accident Investigations
→ Consultation
→ Documentation

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 Risk vs. Hazard

Risk: The measure of the

probability and severity of
an adverse effect caused by
a hazard

Hazard: What causes the

risk; administrative or
physical (causes or has the
potential to cause a loss)

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Purpose of Safety Inspections

• Identify potential hazards so they are corrected

before an injury occurs

• Implement or improve safety

programs

• Increase safety awareness

• Display concern for workers’ safety

• Communicate safety standards of performance

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 Inspection vs. Audit

Are you AUDITING or INSPECTING?

Safety Inspections examine physical facilities –

looking for unsafe conditions, unsafe acts,
housekeeping issues, etc.

Safety Audits examine procedures & policies

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Hazard Detection & Inspection

• What is a hazard?
• What should I look for?
• What standards do I reference?
• How do I perform the inspection?
• How do I document the inspection?

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 What is a Hazard?

An act or a condition in the workplace that has

the potential to cause injury, illness, or death to
a person and/or damage to company property,
equipment and materials

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 What to Look for

High Hazard Areas: Equipment and operations

that involve energy transfer including: chemical,
mechanical, pneumatic, physical, electrical,
gravitational, etc. (Unsafe Conditions)

Procedures and behaviors, including: Use of

protective equipment, safe operating speeds,
following proper procedures, horseplay,
inattentive behavior, etc. (Unsafe Acts)

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 Standards to Reference

• OSHA
Available at www.dosh.gov.my
• FMA
Available at www.dosh.gov.my
• Other technical standards
(BS:EN, ANSI, ASTM, ASME, etc.) – get help
if necessary!
International Best Practise
(MS1722, ISO 9001, OHSAS18001,
ISO14001)

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How to Conduct an Inspection:

• Observe processes, equipment, and work

locations for unsafe conditions
• Obtain comments and suggestions from
employees
• Review Records such as training, Safety

Data Sheet’s, Accident Reports, etc.

• Formulate recommendations
• Report findings to management
• Follow-up for implementation

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Any Problems Here?

Chemical
storage
underneath
cabinet

Not all
chemicals
properly
labeled

Are chemicals
compatible

No lip on shelf

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What About Here?

Fire door held

open by fire
extinguisher

Location of
extinguisher
could be trip
& fall hazard

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 Is this Okay?

No shoring
in trench
NO!
Working
below
unstable
rock

Unstable
soil in
trench

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What About This?

Storage next
to hot water
heater

Combustible
storage in
“mechanical
room”

Unsafe
storage –
could fall on
somebody

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 Any Issues Here?

Cord across Door possibly

walkway – trip & closes on cord
fall hazard – damage to
cord

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What About Here?

Exit
blocked/obstructed

Exit access/aisle
blocked/obstructed

Storage creates trip

& fall hazard

Access to fire
extinguisher
blocked

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Do you see any Problems?

Electrical
cord frayed,
insulation
missing

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How to Document the Inspection

In Writing, In Writing, In Writing!

• Email…… Safety
• Checklists………. Inspections

• Memorandums……….
• Written inspection reports………..

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Safety Inspection Checklist

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Workplace Safety Committees

Accident/Incident
Investigation
and
Reporting

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 Incident Ratio Model

1 Death or Serious Injury

Most Accident
Investigations
Conducted 30 Bi
in gg
Minor Injury ju es
ry t
c a p er
Few Investigations us c e
Conducted i n nt
300 g ag
po e
te of
Near Miss nt
ia
l!

3,000
Unsafe Acts, Behaviors or Conditions

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 Near Miss

What is a near miss?

How does it differ from an accident?

How does it differ from a hazard?

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What Is A Near Miss?

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 Near Miss

We will read the definition of an accident

We call an accident an “actual”

We looked at the definition of a hazard

We call a hazard a “potential”

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 Near Miss

Remembering the definition of a near miss

We would call it an ?????

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 Near Miss

RIGHT ---

We call a near miss an “almost”

How does it resemble an accident?

It must be investigated immediately

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Near Miss

Near misses also have

a cause and effect

What would you say

was the cause of this
“almost”? What might
be the effect?

What changes would

you make?

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 Near Miss

What impact would

changes make in the previous
slide?

How would you prevent this

from becoming an “actual”?

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Reporting Near Miss Incidents

Why report near misses?

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 Near Miss

Always remember, if you:

Eliminate or reduce all hazards

Investigate all near misses immediately

and make changes

You WILL reduce “actuals”

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Incident Investigation & Reporting

• What is an accident?
• What are the causes of an accident?
• How do I investigate an accident?
• What should I put in my report?
• What’s next?

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Incident Investigation & Reporting

What is an accident?

An uncontrolled and/or unplanned release of

energy that causes or contributes to illness, injury,
death and/or damage to property, equipment, or
materials.

All accidents have a cause and effect!

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Incident Investigation & Reporting

What are the causes of an accident?

There are two basic causes of accidents:

Unsafe Acts
and
Unsafe Conditions

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Unsafe Acts vs. Unsafe Conditions

• Environment
• Behaviors
- Account for the vast – Represent only a
small fraction of
injuries
• Can’t

• Recognize & Remedy

majority of injuries
• Won’t
• Encourage & Enforce 50
Unsafe Acts - Unsafe Conditions

• Inadequate • Operating at
Ventilation Improper Speed
• Failure to Warn • Congested Area
• Defective Tools, • Noise Exposure
Equipment or
Materials • Improper Lifting
• Inadequate Guards • Inadequate PPE
• Horseplay
• Using Defective
Equipment

(Adapted from Bird & Germain, 1985)

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Unsafe Acts - Unsafe Conditions

• Temperature • Improper Loading

Extremes
• Inadequate Warning
• Influence of Drugs System
or Alcohol
• Failure to Secure
• Fire/Explosion
Hazard • Removing Safety
• Operating Without Devices
Authority • File Drawer Left
• Poor Illumination Open

(Adapted from Bird & Germain, 1985)

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Unsafe Act or Unsafe Condition?

Act: No guarding on
scaffold; unsafe set-up
for scaffold; no PPE

Condition: Items
stored in exit access,
obstructs exit width

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Unsafe Act or Unsafe Condition?

Act: Unsafe
ladder set-
up; no PPE

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 Unsafe Act or Unsafe Condition?

Excessive
sawdust
on floor
Condition
No guard
on blade

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Unsafe Act or Unsafe Condition?

Act: Unsafe
set-up;
individual in
unsafe position

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Unsafe Act or Unsafe Condition?

Condition

Exposed wires

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Unsafe Act or Unsafe Condition?

Act

Man standing
on moveable
stairs being
raised by
forklift

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Accident/Incident Investigation

• Review all reported

incidents causing
injury, damage or a
“near miss”
• What happened
• Identify the root
cause
• Recommend
corrective measures

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Who Should do the Investigation?

• First Line supervisor

• Safety Committee
• Safety Director/Safety Person
• All of the above
• A combination of the above

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 Incident Investigation & Reporting

HOW DO I INVESTIGATE AN ACCIDENT/INCIDENT?

1. Call for first aid/emergency response

2. Secure the scene
3. Photograph the scene
4. Interview witnesses
5. Collect physical evidence

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Investigation “Go Bag”

Some suggestions:
Camera
Flashlight
Tape Measure
Surgical Gloves
Necessary PPE
Note Pad/Tablet
“Sticky Notes”
Pens

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 Goal of the investigation

IS NOT TO:
• Exonerate individuals or management
• Satisfy insurance requirements
• Defend a position for legal argument
• Assign blame

Remember, fact finding not fault finding

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Interviewing Victims & Witnesses

• Interview as soon as possible after the incident

• Do not interrupt medical care to interview
• Interview each person separately
• Do not allow witnesses to confer prior to interview

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 The Interview

• Put the person at ease

• People may be reluctant to discuss the incident
particularly if they think someone will get in
trouble
• Reassure them that this is a fact finding
process only
• Remind them these facts will be used
to prevent a recurrence of the incident

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 The Interview

• Take notes!
• Do not make suggestions:
– If the person is stumbling over a
word or concept, do not help them out.
• Ask open ended questions:
– What did you see?
– What happened?

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 The Interview

• Summarize what you have been told

– Correct misunderstandings of the events
between you and the witness
• Ask the witness/victim for recommendations
to prevent recurrence
– These people will often have the best solution
to the problem

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Incident Investigation & Reporting

WHAT SHOULD I PUT IN MY REPORT?

1. All the facts, statements, documents, photos,

etc. that were obtained during the investigation
2. Remember, no opinions (e.g. “I think that, I
believe that”…)
3. Analysis of the cause
4. Corrective actions

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 Corrective Action

• Told to be more careful

• Explained safety rule on lifting
• Instructed employee to read Safety Data
Sheet (SDS)
• Had co-worker review proper procedures

ARE THESE EFFECTIVE MEANS OF CORRECTIVE

ACTION? WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Hint: Not really! These actions

do not really correct anything.

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 Good Corrective Action

• Met with employee to discuss accident and

reviewed proper procedures and then...
• Observed employee perform the procedure
• Showed employee SDS, reviewed how to
interpret; use of appropriate PPE
• Checked for understanding
• Plan to discuss with all employees in

department at next meeting

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Incident Investigation & Reporting

What’s next?

Follow-up!
Follow-up!
Follow-up!

Ensure that corrective actions are being

implemented.

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Incident Investigation - Summary

• Accident & Incident Investigations

– First Aid & Emergency Response
– Secure Scene
– Photograph/Document Scene
– Interviews/Statements
– Review Records
– Prepare a Report:
• Include Causes & Effects
• Include Corrective Actions
– Follow-up!

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Root Cause(s)

The cause of a problem which, if

adequately addressed, will prevent
a recurrence of that problem

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Questions

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