Accident Investigation

Session Objectives
You will be able to: Understand your role in the investigation process Gather facts Talk to witnesses Determine causal factors Identify corrective actions

Why Investigate Accidents?

Determine the root cause Identify corrective actions Prevent the accident from happening again Document the accident Complete OSHA-required reporting

OSHA Wants to Know

Employee fatalitynotify OSHA in 8 hours Three employees hospitalizednotify
OSHA Document each injury Record injuries on OSHA 300 Log Post OSHA 300 Log

You Have Key Roles

Report any accident or near-miss
immediately As a witness, describe what you observed Provide your knowledge of normal operating practices in the situation Suggest corrective actions

Accident Investigation Team

Employees trained to

investigate accidents Safety committee member Supervisor Safety manager Production manager Plant manager

Investigators Qualifications
Understand important role of accident
investigation Have authority and accountability Have skills to evaluate the incident Communicate details

Why Investigate and Your RoleAny Questions

Any questions about
why we need to investigate accidents or your role in the investigation process?

Investigate All Accidents

Workplace fatality Lost time from the job

or days away from work Restricted ability to work Medical treatment First aid Near-miss incidents

When to Investigate?
Immediately after
incident Interview witnesses before memories fade Assess the scene before clues are moved Finish investigation quickly

Accident Investigation Is Like a Police Investigation

Check the scene

before anything has been moved Assemble evidence Interview the witnesses Not looking for a criminal; not trying to place blame on anyone Find what, why, and how

The Accident Occurs

Employee immediately reports the accident
to a supervisor Supervisor treats the injury or assesses need for outside medical treatment Accident scene is left intact Supervisor contacts the accident investigation team If able, injured employee completes incident form

Beginning the Investigation

Get the investigation kit Team reports to the
scene Look at the big picture Record initial observations Take pictures

Investigation Kit
Camera Report forms,

clipboard, pens Barricade tape Flashlight Tape measure Tape recorder Work gloves

Any Questions?
Any questions about
what and when to investigate or the investigation kit?

Questions that Need Answers

What happened? When did it happen? Where did it happen? Who was involved? How did it happen? Why did it happen? How can we keep it
from happening again?

Fact Gathering
Name of injured and
involved employees Name of witnesses Date and time of the incident Work shift information

Fact Gathering (cont.)

General location of the incident Specific location of involved employees Normal job duties and training Type of injury and body part injured

Fact Gathering (cont.)

Machines, tools, or
equipment Chemicals involved Environmental conditions Production schedule

Interviewing Witnesses
Interview witnesses one at a time Convey your desire to prevent accidents Encourage witness to describe the accident
in his or her own words Discuss what happened leading up to and after the accident Use open-ended questions

Sequence of Events
Events leading up to
the incident Describe events of the incident Events that happened immediately after the incident Draw a chart of the events

Incident Description
Details so reader can
clearly picture the incident Specific body parts affected Specific motions of injured employee just before, during, and after incident

Any Questions?
Any questions about
gathering facts, interviewing witnesses, or describing the incident?

Causal Factors
Try not to accept single cause theory Identify underlying causes Primary cause Secondary causes

Corrective Actions
Immediate corrective actions Recommended corrective actions
Employee training Preventive maintenance activities Better job procedures Hazard recognition Engineering or administrative changes

Completed Report
Signed by investigation
team members Signed by injured employee Forwarded to management

Causes and Corrective ActionsAny Questions?

Any questions about
finding causal factors or implementing corrective actions?

Key Points to Remember

Accident investigations prevent other
accidents Investigate accidents immediately Gather all the facts Interview witnesses one at a time Record detailed description Determine causal factors Conduct corrective actions