Incident
Investigation -- Tips, Techniques & Trivia
The
CSA Standard on Accident Investigation states that all investigations
should be team based and the team should not include the immediate
supervisor or the injured employee.
While I support the concept of team based investigations the
reality is that in most workplaces this is not practical and
the responsibility defaults to the supervisor of the area.
I
feel most supervisors are quite capable of doing an objective
investigation in their own area. The concern of course, is that
it may be hard to be objective if you are blowing the whistle
on yourself.
The
following article lists some of the benefits of having the supervisor
directly involved.
Jeff
Why Should Supervisors Analyze Accidents?
Analyzing accidents is the responsibility of all
levels of management and a concern of every employee. Supervisors
however, are in a unique position and have a special responsibility
for this function. The supervisor in the area where an accident
occurred has certain qualifications and advantages that other
members of management do not have.
Supervisors know the most about the work environment
and the personal background of the affected employee(s). Supervisors
also have the greatest familiarity with the equipment, machines,
and materials involved in the accident and know most about the
standard work practices in the area.
Supervisors may also know if the employee has
any preexisting physical conditions and/or has a second job or
is involved in various sport activities. These conditions and
outside activities could be important in determining the compensability
of any claim for worker’s compensation.
Supervisors have a personal interest in identifying
accident causes. They are directly responsible for the health
and safety of their employees in addition to the equipment, machines
and materials in the work area. Accident analysis focuses on the
behaviors, conditions and hazards that could endanger the health
and safety of employees and/or could damage costly equipment and
materials or interrupt services to clients.
Supervisors can communicate more effectively with
the employees in their area than other managers and staff personnel
using the terms and language they understand. As a result, employees
are often usually more willing to talk more openly about their
role or the role of their coworkers in an accident.
Supervisors can take the most immediate action
to prevent an accident from recurring. Supervisors also have the
greatest opportunity to implement changes in the management system
that will have a permanent impact upon future accident prevention
efforts.
State of Wisconsin: Principles of Accident
Investigation & Analysis
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