Accident Escalation, Incident Investigation

and Reporting
What is an Incident?
 the scale of the response will be
dependent upon the seriousness of the
incident and could range from
contacting a first aider to
contacting the emergency services.
 the main aim of accident investigations
is to prevent recurrences of the same
and similar accidents
 accident investigation is an important
and necessary part of the occupational
safety process.
Goals of Incident Investigation
 Determine the accident sequence and find root cause
 Prevent future accident and injury
 Disclose unsafe practices to identify training needs
 Identify trends to improve safety
 Recommend corrective actions
 Determine the total cost accident
Stages in an Incident Investigation
 Deal with immediate risks

When accidents and incidents occur

immediate action may be necessary to:

 make the situation safe and

prevent further injury

 help, treat and if necessary

rescue injured persons
Selecting the level of investigation

The greatest effort should be put into:

 those involving severe injuries,

ill-health or loss
 those which could have caused much
greater harm or damage
 Investigating the Event

The purpose of investigations is to

establish:

 the way things were and how they

came to be
 what happened-the sequence of events
that led to the outcome
 Recording and Analyzing Results

 recorded in a similar and systematic manner

 provides a historical record of the accident
 analysis of the causes and recommended
preventative protective measures should be
listed
 completed as soon after the accident as
possible
 information on the accident and remedial
actions should be passed to all supervisors
 Recording and Analyzing Results

 appropriate preventative measures may also have

to be implemented by such supervisors

 investigation reports and accident statistics

should be analyzed from time to time to
identify common causes, features and trends not
be apparent from looking at events in isolation
 Reviewing the Process

Reviewing the accident/incident

investigation process should consider:

 The results of investigations and analysis

 The operation of the investigation system in

terms of quality and effectiveness
Root Causes of Accidents
Personal factors
Lack of knowledge or skill, improper
motivation, physical or mental
conditions
 Supervisory Performances
Inadequate instructions, failure of
SOPs, rules not, enforced, hazards not
corrected, devices not provided.
 Job Factors
Physical environment, sub-standard
equipment, abnormal usage, wear, design
and maintenance.
WHO should Investigate?
Internal Investigation Team
- Individuals involved
- Supervisor, Safety Officer
- Upper management
- External consultants
- Members of the Safety and Health
Committee
External agency involvement
- DOSH
- DOE
- Police
WHAT to Investigate?
all serious and long-term
incidents and near misses
WHEN to Investigate?
 as soon as possible to prevent:

scene interference
deterioration of evidence
losing people’s recollection of the
incidence
Implementing Corrective and
Preventive Action
- must be based on root cause(s)
- appropriate to the problem at hard
- reviewed through risk assessment process to
ensure that the correction will not
introduce a new hazard
- strict time table for implementation establish
- follow up conducted