Be Part of the Ultimate Safety & Compliance Community
Trending news, knowledge-building content, and more – all personalized to you!
Workplace incidents—including injuries, illnesses, close calls/near misses, and reports of other concerns—provide a clear indication of where hazards exist. By thoroughly investigating incidents and reports, you’ll identify hazards that are likely to cause future harm. The purpose of an investigation must always be to identify the root causes (and there is often more than one) of the incident or concern, in order to prevent future occurrences.
Develop a clear plan and procedure for conducting incident investigations, so an investigation can begin immediately when an incident occurs. The plan should cover items such as:
Train your team on incident investigation techniques, emphasizing objectivity and open-mindedness throughout the investigation process.
Conduct investigations with a trained team that includes representatives of both management and workers.
Look at your records of previous injuries and illnesses, such as OSHA 300 and 301 logs. Investigate close calls/near misses. Many companies have near miss reporting programs where supervisors and workers can report a close call incident that didn’t result in an accident. It’s important that you review these for clues to hazards and how to mitigate them.
Identify and analyze root causes to address underlying program shortcomings that allowed the incidents to happen.
Communicate the results of the investigation to managers, supervisors, and workers to prevent recurrence.