ACCIDENT INVESTIGATIONS

Key to Preventing Similar Incidents - XL Insurance, Division of AXA

An accident or near accident is a signal that something is amiss. The primary goal of an accident investigation program is the prevention of future similar accidents through the use of knowledge derived from the investigations. Additionally, the investigation will be used to prepare reports required by federal and state law as well as the Workers’ Compensation insurance carrier.

Policy

All work-related accidents should be investigated in a timely manner. Minor incidents and near misses should be investigated as well as serious accidents. A near miss is an incident which, although not serious in itself, could have resulted in a serious injury or significant property damage. Investigation of these instances may avoid serious accidents in the future.

Supervisory personnel should be primarily responsible for making an investigation of all accidents in their areas of responsibility including:

• OSHA recordable accidents;
• Vehicle accidents;
• Incidents involving equipment damage;
• Spills of hazardous materials;
• Fires;
• Near misses that had the potential to cause injuries or property damage.

The safety manager should assist in accidents involving fire, death, serious injury, or extensive property damage.

Procedure

When an employee is injured at work, the employee’s supervisor is responsible for taking emergency action to have first aid administered, obtain professional medical attention as soon as possible, and protect other employees and equipment. The supervisor must then begin to investigate the circumstances of the accident. The following procedures have been found to be effective when responding to and investigating accidents:

1. GO to the scene of the accident.

2. PROVIDE first aid or emergency medical care. Call 911 if an injured person is unconscious, bleeding profusely, is in great pain, or shows signs of shock or heart attack, or if you are uncertain about the severity of injuries.

3. CONTROL access to the scene. People milling around can destroy physical evidence or information necessary for an accurate and complete investigation. They may also get in the way of emergency responders and expose themselves to uncontrolled hazards. Rope off or barricade the area or have someone stand guard. If possible, contain the hazard to prevent further damage or injury.

4. TALK with the injured person, if possible. Talk to witnesses. Stress getting the facts, not placing blame or responsibility. Ask open-ended questions.

5. LISTEN for clues in the conversations around you. Unsolicited comments often have merit.

6. ENCOURAGE people to give their ideas for preventing a similar accident.

7. STUDY possible causes of unsafe conditions or unsafe practices.

8. CONFER with interested persons about possible solutions.

9. WRITE your accident report, giving a complete, accurate account of the accident.

10. FOLLOW UP to make sure conditions are corrected. If they cannot be corrected immediately, report this to your supervisor.

11. COMMUNICATE corrective action taken, and what was learned from the experience, to employees in either a training session or other form of communication.

In order for the supervisor’s report to be effective, it should contain detailed answers to the following questions:

• What was the employee doing? Describe the equipment, materials, people, and environmental conditions involved in the accident. Use the accompanying flowchart to help isolate the conditions responsible for the accident or injury.
• What happened? Indicate in detail what took place. Describe the accident, the type of injury, whether the employee was wearing appropriate safety equipment, and any other relevant details. Were established engineering controls and/or safety procedures utilized?
• What caused the accident? Explain in detail the condition, act, or malfunction that caused the accident. Remember that it is possible to have more than one reason or cause for an accident. Use the accompanying flowchart to determine whether the causal factor(s) are task-, person-, training-, material-, and/or environmentally-related.
• What can be done to prevent a similar accident? Indicate corrective action to prevent recurrence.

To read more articles like this one - visit our website or view our online version of Liquid Recycling Issue 1 2024.

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