InstituteAccident Investigation - OSHAAccident Investigation - OSHASafety & HealthGeneral Industry SafetyWhat Would you Do QuestionsEnglishAnalysisFocus AreaUSA
Procedures for successful incident investigation
Scenario: An employee struck a storage shelving unit with a forklift. Luckily, no employees, including the forklift operator, were injured during the incident and there was very little damage.
Question: Should this incident be investigated?
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Procedures for successful incident investigation: Answer
Answer: Yes. Although there were no injuries and very little damage, an investigation should be performed to determine causes.
OSHA strongly encourages employers to investigate all incidents and near misses as the employee or others could have been injured if the circumstances were slightly different. There is a reason the forklift operator struck the shelving; therefore, causes should be identified to prevent future, more serious incidents from occurring.