Incident
Investigation -- Tips, Techniques & Trivia
Go
ahead; ask me what’s the most common mistake I see being
made in serious workplace incidents.
It’s almost always a combination of two related factors.
One, not responding appropriately to the seriousness of the
incident, and secondly, not keeping your boss informed.
Typically,
these are cases where the injury is serious but not felt to
be life threatening and this turns out not to be the case. Or
it may involve a major violation of the OHS Act that is not
immediately recognized as such. Keep you boss informed from
the outset. Get immediate help and direction. Assume the worst
and continue with your investigation response until the investigation
is fully concluded. Being charged for an OHS violation is a
situation you do not want to face; however, reacting promptly
and positively as noted above will place any employer in a much
stronger position to defend themselves against charges.
In
both cases once the true nature of the situation is recognized
it’s almost always too late to launch an effective investigation
and you are now in a “catch up” mode.
The
remedy? Treat any serious incident as having a potential worst
case scenario outcome. Within an hour of the incident taking
place involve those with OHS knowledge in a discussion as to
how this incident might play out, and what possible charges
could be laid by regulators.
Jeff
Factors Often Overlooked in Investigations
Terry Ryan - OH&S Canada
This issue and the next one contain an article
by Terry Ryan originally published in the OHS Magazine. The following
are crucial factors that are often missed during accident investigations.
Ergonomics: Workstations and
equipment with dimensions and designs not suited to the human
body can play a significant role in accident causation. Poorly
designed work stations can force employees to perform tasks beyond
their physical capabilities.
Environmental conditions: Factors
such as noise and lighting play a role in most accidents. The
work environment can affect a worker’s system to the point
where he or she can’t function at a normal level. The wearing
of PPE can be distracting. Gloves that don’t fit well, respirators
that are uncomfortable and goggles that block peripheral vision,
for example, can divert an employee’s attention to the job
at hand.
The supervisor’s ability to supervise:
Supervisors are often promoted and given little or no management
training. As a result, they are unable to adequately teach others
to do a job safely or to convey the safety message. Examine the
activities of the supervisor to the same degree as the injured
employee’s activities when investigating accidents.
The shift the employee was working:
Shift work can be a factor in accidents for a number of reasons.
Some people can’t work well at certain hours or the night.
Late shifts often have less supervision than earlier shifts. Normal
sleep patterns can be disrupted by shift work. Lighting and environmental
conditions can change with certain shifts. To be continued in
the next issue.
Terry Ryan – OH& S Canada
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