Everyone comes to their workplace with the expectation, and often a clear plan, for an incident/accident-free day. And many times the day goes just as planned.
Until it doesn’t! The “unexpected” happens! Someone or something is in the wrong place at the wrong time. At that moment, perhaps only a split second, an incident or accident takes place.
Should it be reported? Should it be investigated? The answer to both questions is a resounding YES!
To better understand the importance of accident/incident investigation, let’s dig deeper into the “WHY” question...
“Accident” or “Incident”? You may have heard these terms used interchangeably at your workplace. Or perhaps each refers to a separate type of event. Let’s look at how CCOHS, the Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety, defines these terms.
An occurrence, condition, or situation arising in the course of work that resulted in or could have resulted in injuries, illnesses, damage to health, or fatalities.
An unplanned event that interrupts the completion of an activity, and that may (or may not) include injury or property damage.
Pretty close to the same thing, you may say. And a bit confusing, as well! To avoid confusion, we are going to move away from the term “accident”.
Here’s why. “Accident”, implies that “fate or chance” is involved. When the root cause of an event is examined, it is usually determined that the event was predictable and could have been prevented.
As we discuss “Incidents”, remember, we are including those that cause harm or damage and those “WOW, that was close” moments known as Near-misses. Reporting and investigating both are equally important!
Here’s why.
Reporting and investigating workplace incidents is a valuable tool for developing your company's Safety Management System. As your company continues to look for ways to improve workplace safety, encourage all your workers to report every incident, even the minor ones! This practice will play a huge part in building a proactive safety program and a positive safety culture.
What are the “WHYs” for reporting and investigating incidents?
Most importantly, by conducting an investigation we find out the cause of incidents and prevent similar incidents in the future. As a result,
Investigations provide your management with valuable information for the day-to-day operation of the company such as:
Who is involved in the investigation can impact the information gathered and therefore, the end results. The priority is getting the best possible picture of what really happened and how future recurrence can be avoided.
Remember, workplace investigations are about prevention not finding fault! Start to build confidence in the incident reporting and investigation process by including input from as many sources within the company as possible.
Start off by determining who is best qualified to conduct the workplace investigation. Will the investigation be conducted by an individual or by a group?
Ensure that, whether individually or collectively, the following skills and experience are included:
The severity of the incident will usually dictate the resources and personnel involved such as:
Now you have gathered all your data and have a clear picture of what took place. Getting to the bottom of the “WHY” is the next step!
What is the “root cause” and how is it determined? What are other “causal factors” and how do they play into the incident?
A factor that caused a nonconformance and should be permanently eliminated through process improvement. The primary driver of the event.
These are the secondary drivers of the event..the unintended contributors to an incident “ that if eliminated would have either prevented the occurrence of the incident or reduced its severity or frequency”. Finding the causal factors often takes digging down and looking beyond the obvious.
Even the most simple and straightforward incidents rarely have one single cause. The most successful investigations require moving away from “tunnel vision”. Examine all the possible causes and, using the information gathered, ask questions…lots of questions. And when you are done… ask more questions!
When an incident occurs on the job site, time is of the essence. As little time as possible should be lost between the time of the incident and the beginning of the investigation.
The 3 key steps to conducting a successful investigation are Reporting, Investigation, and Action Plan!
When an incident occurs, remembering the necessary information to include in the Incident Report can be daunting. Digitized safety programs like Safety Evolution's safety software offers a reporting process that helps gather and submit all the necessary information seamlessly.
Review the finding of the investigation with workers in toolbox talks or safety meetings. Encourage suggestions and input. It is rare that an event has never happened before. The causes and corrections of prior incidents can shed new light and increase the likelihood that the investigation will prevent similar incidents in the future.
Conducting a thorough investigation can be daunting. Collecting the necessary documentation and information for all types of incidents may take time. Gathering information to see the complete picture, determine the causes, and establish preventative actions requires getting organized!
A plan that includes all the steps and acts as a checklist to guide you through what can be a very stressful time, is an invaluable tool.
Take advantage of Safety Evolutions' free downloadable Incident & Investigation Guide. We are always here to help!
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