Accident Investigation

State of Florida

Loss Prevention Program

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 – Send report results to the appropriate people

Why Investigate Accidents?

– Determine the root cause – – Identify corrective actions Prevent the accident from happening again – Document the accident – Report findings to agency Safety Coordinators

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 Investigators

– Employees trained to investigate accidents – Safety committee member – Supervisor – Safety Coordinator

Investigator’s Qualifications

– Understand important role of accident investigation – Have authority and accountability – – Have skills to evaluate the incident Ability to clearly communicate details

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 – Find what, why, and how

The Accident Occurs

– Employee immediately reports the accident to a supervisor – Supervisor assesses need for outside medical treatment – Accident scene is left intact – Supervisor contacts OptaComp – Supervisor completes incident form and

Beginning the Investigation

– Investigator reports to the scene – Look at the big picture – Record initial observations – Take pictures if they will aid in the investigation

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 used – Chemicals involved – Environmental conditions

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

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

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 and reporting  Engineering or administrative changes

Completed Report

– Completed and by investigator – Reviewed by employee and their supervisor – Forwarded to management and the Agency Safety Coordinator

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 – Accident review between injured worker and their supervisor – Reports sent to Agency Safety Coordinator

Accident Investigation

State of Florida

Loss Prevention Program