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2. Accident Investigation

3. 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

4. Why Investigate Accidents? • Determine the root cause • Identify corrective actions • Prevent the accident from happening again • Document the accident • Complete OSHA-required reporting

5. OSHA Wants to Know • Employee fatality—notify OSHA in 8 hours • Three employees hospitalized—notify OSHA • Document each injury • Record injuries on OSHA 300 Log • Post OSHA 300 Log

6. 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

7. Accident Investigation Team • Employees trained to investigate accidents • Safety committee member • Supervisor • Safety manager • Production manager • Plant manager

8. Investigator’s Qualifications • Understand important role of accident investigation • Have authority and accountability • Have skills to evaluate the incident • Communicate details

9. Why Investigate and Your Role—Any Questions • Any questions about why we need to investigate accidents or your role in the investigation process?

10. 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

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

12. 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

13. 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

14. Beginning the Investigation • Get the investigation kit • Team reports to the scene • Look at the big picture • Record initial observations • Take pictures

15. Investigation Kit • Camera • Report forms, clipboard, pens • Barricade tape • Flashlight • Tape measure • Tape recorder • Work gloves

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

17. 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?

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

19. 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

20. Fact Gathering (cont.) • Machines, tools, or equipment • Chemicals involved • Environmental conditions • Production schedule

21. 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

22. 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

23. 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

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

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

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

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

28. Causes and Corrective Actions—Any Questions? • Any questions about finding causal factors or implementing corrective actions?

29. 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