Safety Awakening – “What Has Happened, Will Happen”
December 5, 2014 No Comments“What has happened, can and will happen again!“
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Too often, employers conduct only cursory accident investigations. They don’t get to the underlying, multiple causes of the accident. Without a thorough and comprehensive investigation and follow-up, any accident could happen again – with maybe more severe consequences the next time.
Accident repeaters and unchecked accident trends are evidence that far too many companies trivialize accident investigations, assigning them to untrained persons with little ability to identify the true causes of the accident and no authority to effect corrective changes.
Don’t leave accident investigations to untrained, unqualified persons. All injury accidents (and incidents with the potential for future serious harm) should be thoroughly evaluated by a safety professional or a trained investigator. The investigator must be encouraged (and comfortable) identifying accident causes that implicate deficiencies in the management system and oversights by individual managers/executives without fear of reprisal.
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After all serious injury accidents and incidents with potential for future serious harm
- immediately notify the company president
- inspect the scene asap, if needed restrict access to accident area
- take photos, measurements, samples
- interview the victim
- interview the witnesses
- review related inspection, maintenance, and training records
- identify applicable safety standards, and determine compliance/violation
- consult with outside technical experts if needed
- complete an accident investigation report form identifying: accident facts, accident causes, needed corrective actions
- review the investigation report with the highest operating manager/executive at the accident location
- commit the resources and monies necessary to eliminate the causes of the accident
- communicate with affected employees, the union, the president and operating executives, and other locations the results of the accident investigation and the corrective actions taken/planned