Purpose
Accident prevention and
control of hazards is the result of a well designed and executed
safety and health program. One of the keys to a successful
program includes unbiased, prompt and accurate accident
investigations. The basic purpose of these investigations is to
determine measures that can be taken to prevent similar accidents
in the future. This chapter addresses:
- Company Policy
- Responsibilities
- Hazard Control
- Role of Supervisors
- Investigation
Procedures
Policy
It is the policy of
[COMPANY] that investigation of all work related accidents,
injuries and illnesses are to be conducted in a professional
manner to identify probable causes and are used to develop
specific management actions for the prevention of future
accidents.
Responsibilities
Management
- Conduct accident
prevention and investigation training for supervisors
- Ensure all accidents
and injuries are properly investigated
- Ensure immediate and
long term corrective actions are taken to prevent reoccurrence
- Maintain Accident
Reports permanently on file
- Ensure proper entries
are made on the OSHA 300 Log and First Report of Injury
- Provide all necessary
medical care for injured workers
Supervisors
- Conduct immediate
initial accident investigations
- Report all accidents to
management as soon after the event as possible
- Collect and preserve
all evidence that may be useful in an investigation
- Conduct interviews of
witnesses in a polite professional manner
- Do not attempt to find
or assign blame for accidents
- Take action to protect
people and property from secondary effects of accidents
Employees
- Immediately report all
accidents & injuries to their supervisor
- Assist as requested in
all accident investigations
- Report all hazardous
conditions and near-misses to supervisors
Hazard Control
Engineering Controls -
There are numerous engineered safeguards throughout the facility
used to protect employees and prevent exposure to hazards.
Examples of engineering controls are machine guards, safety
controls, isolation of hazardous areas, monitoring devices, etc.
Specific engineering controls are addressed in other chapters of
the company safety manual and in equipment and process
procedures.
Administrative
Controls - These controls involve the use of procedures,
assessments, inspection, records to monitor and ensure safe
practices and environments are maintained. Other administrative
controls are in place to identify new hazards and implement
corrective action. Examples of administrative controls are
periodic inspections, equipment operating and maintenance
procedures, hazard analysis, selection and assignment of personal
protective equipment, etc.
Training Controls
- This aspect of hazard control is used to ensure employees are
fully and adequately trained to safely perform all tasks to which
they are assigned. No employee is to attempt any task without
proper training in the equipment used, required personal
protective equipment, specific hazards and their control and
emergency procedures. Examples of training controls are initial
new hire safety orientation, job specific safety training and
periodic refresher training.
Supervisor
Involvement
In most cases, the
immediate area supervisor will conduct the initial phase of an
accident investigation. This initial activity is primarily a
recording of facts involved in the accident, list of affected
employees and witnesses. Direct supervisors are familiar with
employee's work environment & assigned tasks. Supervisors
must take the accident situation under control and immediately
eliminate or control hazards to others.
Immediate Steps
1. Provide First Aid for
any injured persons.
2. Eliminate or control
hazards
3. Document accident
scene information to determine the cause.
4. Interview witnesses
immediately.
Accident Prevention
Accidents are usually
complex. An accident may have 10 or more events that can be
causes. A detailed analysis of an accident will normally reveal
three cause levels: basic, indirect, and direct. At the lowest
level, an accident results only when a person or object receives
an amount of energy or hazardous material that cannot be absorbed
safely. This energy or hazardous material is the DIRECT CAUSE of
the accident. The direct cause is usually the result of one or
more unsafe acts or unsafe conditions, or both. Unsafe acts and
conditions are the INDIRECT CAUSES or symptoms. In turn, indirect
causes are usually traceable to poor management policies and
decisions, or to personal or environmental factors. These are the
BASIC CAUSES.
Most accidents are
preventable by eliminating one or more causes. Accident
investigations determine not only what happened, but also how and
why. The information gained from these investigations can prevent
recurrence of similar or perhaps more disastrous accidents.
Accident investigators are interested in each event as well as in
the sequence of events that led to an accident. The accident type
is also important to the investigator. The recurrence of
accidents of a particular type or those with common causes shows
areas needing special accident prevention emphasis.
Initial Investigation
Procedures
The initial
investigation has three purposes:
1. Prevent further
possible injury and property damage
2. Collect facts about
the accident
3. Collect and preserve
evidence
Steps
a. Secure the area. Do
not disturb the scene unless a hazard exists.
b. Prepare the necessary
sketches and photographs. Label each carefully and keep accurate
records.
c. Interview each victim
and witness. Also interview those who were present before the
accident and those who arrived at the site shortly after the
accident. Keep accurate records of each interview. Use a tape
recorder if desired and if approved.
Determine
a. What was not normal
before the accident.
b. Where the abnormality
occurred.
c. When it was first
noted.
d. How it occurred.
Follow-up Accident
Investigation
The follow-up
investigation is used to analyze data and determine the causes
and corrective actions necessary to prevent reoccurrence.
Steps
a. Analyze the data
obtained in the initial investigation
b. Repeat any of the
prior steps, if necessary.
c. Determine
1. Why the accident
occurred.
2. A likely sequence of
events and probable causes (direct, indirect, basic).
d.. Determine the most
likely causes.
e.. Conduct a
post-investigation briefing.
f.. Prepare a summary
report, including the recommended actions to prevent a
recurrence.
An investigation is not complete until
all data are analyzed and a final report is completed. In practice, the
investigative work, data analysis, and report preparation proceed simultaneously
