Accident Investigations

Accident investigation is the first step toward avoiding future injuries and financial losses. An investigation determines what, why and how the accident happened. It also helps us prevent similar accidents from happening again.

Some Facts

• Accidents are unexpected, unplanned and undesirable. Yet they offer the chance to learn a great deal about good safety and health practices.

• A good investigation looks at how a work environment makes it possible for accidents to happen. The findings will often show that many similar (small, less serious) accidents have occurred before.

It Really Happens

An experienced heavy equipment operator in Alameda, suffered a serious neck and shoulder injury when the steering shaft of his CAT loader broke. When the investigative team went in, they found that the steering shaft was defective. Because the equipment manufacturer was found to be partially liable for the accident, the cost of the claim was reduced for the employer.

Employer's Role

• To ensure that you're prepared to respond properly to an accident, have a comprehensive accident investigation kit ready to go.

• Track near-miss accidents to identify high hazard areas in your company.

• Create an investigation plan including who is in charge, special transportation needs, how to gain access to the site, who will record witnesses, and who will take photographs.

• When interviewing employees, put them at ease. Be sensitive to their feelings about the accident.

• After the investigation, write an accident report with a description of causes and suggested corrections.

Worker's Role

• Be helpful and honest during an investigation. The point of an investigation is not to blame someone, but to determine what, how and why an accident happened.

• After an accident, promptly submit the appropriate forms, such as vehicle accident reports or property damage reports, to your supervisor.

• Your account of an accident is very important. Remember, your first hand knowledge, what you saw and did before the accident, could be very helpful in determining the outcome of an investigation.

Discussing Accident Investigations

• Why are accident investigations important?

• Can your job become safer as the result of an injury to another worker? How?

• Why is it important to look beyond the surface causes of an accident? Are some accidents just unavoidable?