Accident and Incident investigation
The prime objective
of accident investigation is prevention. Finding the causes of an accident and
taking steps to control or eliminate it can help prevent similar
Accidents from
happening in the future. Accidents can rarely be attributed to a single cause.
Work environment, job constraints, and supervisory or worker experience
can all play a part.
These factors must be examined to determine what role each had in causing the
accident.
Once the causes are
established, precautions must be identified and implemented to prevent a
recurrence. Investigators must always keep in mind that effective
accident
investigation means
fact-finding, not fault-finding.
To explain why and
how an accident happened, investigators must collect information on the events
that took place before and during the event. Investigators can then
determine accident
conditions by examining physical evidence and interviewing witnesses. Both of
these steps are of equal importance and should be done as soon as
possible to ensure
complete accident investigation. Equally important is the need to document the
steps that were taken immediately after the accident to deal with the
emergency andto begin
the investigation. It also identifies the forms to be used and the procedures
to be followed within specified time frames.
In order for an
investigation to be a valuable tool in accident prevention, three things must
take place:
- The information gathered must be analyzed;
- Corrective action must be taken; and
- The action must be monitored for effectiveness.
Requirements
Company health and
safety programs should have the following items addressed in the requirements
regarding accident investigation:
- What kinds of accidents must be investigated?
- Who should investigate what?
- What training should investigators have?
- Who reviews the investigation report and follows up on any
observations or recommendations?
- What should be investigated: All Lost Time Injuries? All Medical
Aid Injuries? All with more than $ X in property damage? Anywith a
potential for serious injury or major financial loss?
Reportable
accidents
In addition to
accidents that result in injury, there are legal requirements to report
accidents to the MOL. These include fatalities,critical injuries,
occupational
illness and the
following prescribed incidents:
- A worker falling a vertical distance of three metres or more.
- A worker falling and having the fall arrested by a fall arrest
system other than a fall restricting system.
- A worker becoming unconscious for any reason.
- Accidental contact by a worker or by a worker's tool or equipment
with energized electrical equipment, installations or conductors.
- Accidental contact by a crane, similar hoisting device, backhoe,
power shovel or other vehicle or equipment or its load with an
energized electrical conductor rated at more than 750 volts.
Structural failure of all or part of falseworkdesigned by, or required by
this Regulation to be designed by, a professional engineer.
- Structural failure of a principal supporting member, including a
column, beam, wall or truss, of a structure. Failure of all or part of the
structural supports of a scaffold.
- Structural failure of all or part of an earth- or water-retaining
structure, including a failure of the temporary or permanent supports
for a shaft, tunnel, caisson cofferdam or trench.
- Failure of a wall of an excavation or of similar earthwork
with respect to which a professional engineer has given
written opinion that the stability of the wall is such that no
worker will be endangered by it.
- Overturning or the structural failure of all or part of a crane
or similar hoisting device.
There is a legal
requirement to not only report what happened, but also the steps taken to
prevent a recurrence. It is wise to investigate these events to see if they
were the result of
unforeseen, isolated circumstance or if they resulted from a breakdown or
oversight in the company's health and safety program.
Regarding the other
key points, the company's program should identify who should do the
investigation, the training requirements(Accident Investigation is part
of
several other
training programs, such as IHSA's Construction Health & Safety Rep and
Basics ofSupervising Programs as well as a separate course). It should
also
identify who reviews
the investigation report and is responsiblefor ensuring that follow-up is done
regarding any corrective actions/deficiencies that were found.
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