Accident Investigation: Preventing the Next Accident

Most workplace safety and health programs follow the same basic route for preventing job accidents:

• Inspections
• Hazard analysis
• Correction of known hazards
• Establishment of safety rules and procedures
• Employee training and education

There is, of course, another important element—accident investigations. To prevent future accidents, you have to understand today’s accidents.

Here’s a quick review of accident investigations from start to finish.

Conduct the investigation promptly. Schedule an immediate on-site investigation before the trail “gets cold.” Good investigators are trained in data gathering, problem identification, cause analysis, and action planning. They should be experienced and open-minded.

Have your investigation kit ready for action. Some of the important items include:

• Camera and film
• Investigation forms, clipboards, and pens
• Barricade tape to block off the accident area
• Flashlight, in case the lighting is inadequate
• Measuring tape to determine distances
• Tape recorder to record observations by the investigating team
• Personal protective equipment (PPE), as appropriate

Survey the scene. Make sure that your fact-finding presents a complete and accurate picture of just what happened.

Get the facts. Talk to those involved and those who witnessed the accident. Don’t play the blame game! Emphasize that the purpose of the investigation is PREVENTION!

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Analyze your findings. Review the facts. Read the description of the accident and events leading up to it. If this was a routine situation, consider any factor that was unusual on that particular day. To phrase it another way: What was not normal? What went wrong? Consider all the possibilities.

Identify causes. Identify the immediate cause—person, place, or thing. Very often this is the easy part. List contributing factors—there may be several. List underlying root causes. Were any factors completely unpredictable? Discuss any alternative theories if the investigating committee is not in agreement.

Report your findings and recommendations. Summarize the facts of the accident and events leading up to it. Make recommendations to reduce future risks. List immediate corrective actions. Get approval for your proposals.

Follow up to ensure that recommended action is taken. Check to see that immediate changes have been made. Continue to review until all long-term preventive changes have been completed.

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Train to Prevent Accidents

The best way to avoid accident investigations, of course, is to prevent accidents. And one of the best ways to prevent workplace accidents is to make sure your employees are well trained. Easier said than done? Not if you use the OSHA Training System.

As its name implies, OSHA Training System is a complete system to meet your full training needs. All the materials are prepared in advance, so no prep time is required. All you do is reproduce what you need and put it to use. Materials include:

• 32 complete safety units, meeting every key OSHA standard. Each includes full background for trainers, a ready-to-use safety meeting, and follow-up handouts. View a Table of Contents.
• Quizzes, handouts, and copies of 27 different employee booklets, coordinated to the safety meetings. (Booklets can be bought in any quantity at a discount.)
• A complete training, recordkeeping, and tracking system that tells you which employees need what training, and then tracks your program to ensure they get it.
• Quarterly updates, included with the program. You receive at least 4 new safety units every 90 days, covering new OSHA standards and training needs.

If you share the common problem of never having enough time or the right materials for training, we’d suggest you examine the OSHA Training System program. We’ve arranged for you to do so for up to 30 days at no cost or risk. Just let us know and we’ll be happy to make all the arrangements.

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