A formal accident investigation is required documentation for severe injuries and fatalities that occur in the workplace to satisfy OSHA and insurance requirements. However, the primary reason for accident investigations is to prevent future accidents. It is encouraged that less severe injuries are also investigated with the same level of attention.
An accident investigation will identify risk and hazards that ultimately lead to an injury or near-miss and capture the specific conditions at the time of injury or near-miss, such as time and date of incident, equipment used, training history and experience level of the injured worker, and witness accounts of the event. The results of the investigation may lead to the re-evaluation of a training program or other corrective action to reduce or eliminate risks and hazards.
Investigations should occur as soon as possible after the incident to prevent the site being disturbed or damaged and clear memory of what happened is forgotten.
Investigations may include:
- Interviews of witnesses
- Review of audio and video recordings
- Review of photos at the location site of the injury
We offer the following documents to help our district supervisors with their decision-making.
6 Basic Steps to Accident Investigation
Accident Investigations and Root Cause Analysis
SUPERVISORS: Things to Consider When Conducting an Accident Investigation
As Loss Control Consultants, we have the expertise to develop an effective accident incident investigation framework following a workplace injury. We can walk you step-by-step through the process, ensuring that the completed investigation clearly demonstrates steps you will take to avoid a similar work-related injury in the future. This is a key fixture in the investigation and one that can help you avoid fines, citations, and other WISHA penalties.
Contact your Risk Consultants with any questions.
Additional Resources
National Safety Council-How to Conduct an Accident Investigation
TRAINING: Vector Solutions Course Details
