Why is accident investigation important

OSHA defines an accident as an unplanned, unexpected, and not purposefully caused event which occurs suddenly and causes injury or loss, decreased value in resources, and increased liabilities. It is important to look at all contributing factors to determine the cause and, if a shortcoming is identified, to ask why it existed or was not previously addressed.

KEMI does not assume liability for the content of information contained herein. Safety and health remain your responsibility. KEMI, by publication of this information, does not assume liability for damage or injury arising from reliance upon it. The legislation Section of the Workers' Compensation Act says that one employer and one worker representative should participate in investigations, "if they are reasonably available".

Employers must make a genuine effort to involve a worker rep and when they don't, they should be challenged. Workers — through their union — are equal partners in workplace health and safety.

It is the responsibility of HSA joint occupational health and safety representatives to either participate directly in incident investigations or to otherwise insure that incidents involving HSA members are properly investigated. Skip to main content. February 19, Instructions for conducting investigations can be found on the WorkSafeBC website. Investigating a worksite incident- a fatality, injury, illness, or close call- provides employers and workers the opportunity to identify hazards in their operations and shortcomings in their safety and health programs.

Most importantly, it enables employers and workers to identify and implement the corrective actions necessary to prevent future incidents. Incident investigations that focus on identifying and correcting root causes, not on finding fault or blame, also improve workplace morale and increase productivity, by demonstrating an employer's commitment to a safe and healthful workplace.

Incident investigations are often conducted by a supervisor, but to be most effective, these investigations should include managers and employees working together, since each bring different knowledge, understanding and perspectives to the investigation.

In conducting an incident investigation, the team must look beyond the immediate causes of an incident. It is far too easy, and often misleading, to conclude that carelessness or failure to follow a procedure alone was the cause of an incident. To do so fails to discover the underlying or root causes of the incident, and therefore fails to identify the systemic changes and measures needed to prevent future incidents. When a shortcoming is identified, it is important to ask why it existed and why it was not previously addressed.

These examples illustrate that it is essential to discover and correct all the factors contributing to an incident, which nearly always involve equipment, procedural, training, and other safety and health program deficiencie.