Why Investigate Accidents?
- To find out the cause of accidents and to prevent similar accidents in the future
- To fulfil any legal requirements
- To determine the cost of an accident
- To determine compliance with applicable safety legislation
- To aid in compensation claims
Incidents that involve no injury or property damage should still be investigated to determine the hazards that should be corrected. The same principles apply to a quick inquiry of a minor incident and to the more formal investigation of a serious event.
Who Should Investigate the Accident?
Usually someone who is familiar with Health and Safety and has some experience of accident investigations should lead an investigation. The following people may also be useful;
- employees with knowledge of the work
- safety officer
- health and safety committee member
- union representative
- employees with experience in the task/process
- "outside" experts
Finding the Cause
It is unusual for there to be one cause of an accident, and often there are contributory factors.
Ask the following questions:
- Was the worker distracted?
- Is there a safe working procedure/Risk Assessment for the task?
- Was a safe work procedure being followed?
- Should safety devices be used?
- Were any safety devices in order/working?
- Was the worker trained?
- Was the worker being forced to rush by colleagues or management?
Corrective Action
- Identify the causes
- Report the findings
- Develop a plan for corrective action/undertake a Risk Assessment
- Implement the plan
- Evaluate the effectiveness of the corrective action
- Make changes for continuous improvement
What Next?
- Monitor that the scheduled actions have been completed.
- Check the condition of injured worker(s), devise a rehabilitation program to enable them to return to work
- Inform and train other workers at risk.
- Re-orient worker(s) on their return to work.
Further Information:
Investigating accidents and incidents: A workbook for employers, unions, safety representatives and safety professionals. ISBN: 0717628272
Document links
| Document downloads | File Size |
| Adobe Acrobat Reader is available FREE of charge. You can download it directly from Adobe's website by clicking the link to the right. Once on Adobe's website, follow the instructions on screen to install the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader. |  |
| Reduce risks/cut costs: The true cost of accidents at work (PDF) | 323KB |
Date Updated: 30/10/08