INTRODUCTION:
Essentials of a
successful Safety program include elimination of Physical Hazards, elimination
of unsafe work practices, training to minimize the human factors that cause accidents,
and through Accidents Investigation.
Accidents
Investigation may be defined as an analysis evaluation and report of an
Accident based on Information gathered by an Investigation.
Accidents
Investigation should include inquiry into not only injury Accident, but
non-injury Accidents and “Near-Misses”- those incidents such as a broken Crane Hook
or Tank explosion that have a high potential for causing serious injury, Any
epidemic of minor injuries should also receive careful attention to determine
the under laying causes.
Accidents
Investigation is Important. It is the basis for a large portion of accident
prevention work, and it can mean the Success or Failure of a Safety Program.
PURPOSE OF THE ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION:
The primary purpose of Accidents Investigation is to
pinpoint causes so that similar Occurrences can be prevented, usually through
one or more of the following measures:
1>.
Mechanical Improvements.
2>.
Improvements of Supervision and
3>.
Employee Training.
Other purpose for
Investigating Accidents are to:
1>.
Create a record for future reference;
2>.
Provide Information for Dissemination to other units;
3>.
Direct attention to Safety in General;
4>.
Satisfy local, State and federal Agencies; and spot areas where preventive maintenance might be
needed.
5>.Stimulate submission of
suggestions for improvements.
PRINCIPLES OF ACCIDENTS INVESTIGATION:
There are two cardinal principles of Accidents
Investigation. These are given below –
The
first is that 95 percent of Accidents involve both unsafe acts and Unsafe
Conditions. The Investigator must look for all causes, both hazardous
conditions and Human failures, but in every case he or she should investigate
the conditions in which it is fairly obvious that on unsafe Acts caused the
Accident.
The second is that the Investigation must believe and must
convince the workers that the purpose of Accidents Investigation is
Fact-Finding, not Fault-Finding. This is the Accidents Investigator’s most
difficult and most crucial job.
Others causes are involve an Accidents–
Accidents may be caused by defective
equipment, unsafe physical environment, untrained personnel, employee attitude,
Employee morale and inadequate supervisory practices.
Accident Investigators must
deal with many types of personalities under strained conditions. The occasion
of an accident is a trying time for all concerned, and workers react to the
pressure of the situation in various ways.
Some become shy, nervous, apprehensive, and hesitate to
talk for fear of self-incrimination. Others become hostile and resentful of
what they feel is snooping. Still others, no matter how apparent their
negligence, will insist that someone else or the equipment was to blame.
It’s up to the Investigator to dissolve these barriers by
using empathy. Empathy is the ability to put oneself in another’s position, to
react to an experience as another reacts. By empathizing with the workers he
interviews – by figuratively placing himself in the other guy’s shoes – the
interviewer can better understand what the worker tells him.
The worker, in turn, will be more convinced of the Investigator’s
objective intention – to gather information and uncover the facts, not to fix
blame. On the whole, workers are cooperative and understanding when they are
convinced that they may be helpful in preventing someone else from experiencing
a similar mishap.
A good general pattern for the Accident Investigator to
follow is:
- Investigate all injury-producing accidents as
soon after their occurrence as circumstances permit. Many companies
require Investigation within 24 Hours.
- Delay an interview with the injured man until he
has received initial medical treatment, No matter how minor the injury.
The Investigator should always be more concerned with the employee’s
welfare than with fact-finding.
Even
if the employee is willing to talk, insist that he receive medical attention first. If after
treatment he is in pain or upset, postpone questioning until he is clam. The
injured worker is usually the main source of information about the accident,
and the accuracy and completeness of the information obtain from him depends to
a great extent upon how the interview is conducted.
3. Never use
sarcasm, appear aggressive, or blame anyone. This only makes the worker
withdraw or become belligerent. Some workers immediately sense and admit
responsibility and become self-condemnatory. They know they’re wrong and don’t
want or need to be reminded of it. Nothing can be gained with criticism or
ridicule.
On the other hand, the Investigator should empathize with
the worker, show concern for him, be friendly, hear him out, and get his
suggestions. And the Investigator should share his ideas with the worker.
WHO SHOULD INVESTIGATE ACCIDENTS?
Ø
The primary
investigation is essentially the function of the front line Supervisors.
Accidents Investigation is considered a routine part of supervisor job
responsibility, and safety personnel function as staff
Ø
In the more
serous cases, a Safety Engineer or Officers should verify the findings of the
Supervisor and investigate every Important Accident.
Ø
The statutory
Investigation is done by the Factory Inspector.
Fatalities
involve the highest level of Investigation, Frequently a plant committee and
corporate group, Insurance carriers and Governmental bodies may also conduct
Accident Investigations.
ACCIDENT SITE:
The first concern of an accident scene, regardless of its.
Seriousness is the care of the injured and protection of people and property.
Thereafter, Investigation should commence without delay. The less the
interviewing time, the more accurate would be the information that can be
obtained. Facts would be more accurate because witness would not have had time
to be biased by the opinions of the others and further they would be able to
recollect events and details more accurately.
INTERVIEW OF WITNESSES:
If the injured man can not be
interviewed the investigator should talk with witnesses. At all cost, avoid
making them feel that they are informers. Re-emphasize to them the purpose of
the investigation – to gather the facts to prevent recurrence of the accident.
A
witness is any person or worker who can contribute information on an accident.
It is describable to have the initial interview of witness carried out at the
accident site. This would help both the investigator and the witness to more
accurately relate the circumstances and details involves.
THE INVESTIGATION REPORT:
The
general pre-printed accident investigation report form are used by industrial
units. This could be a sample page form or form using several pages specimen
report forms are given in Annexure.
Such forms contains the
following information:
1> Identifying information and related details.
2> Description of the accident.
3> Discussion.
4> Case analysis.
5> An action plane with recommendations.
IDENTIFYING
INFORMATION:
These are facts surrounding the accidents.
a)
Time injury –
Hour of the accident, Day, Time, Month, and Year.
b)
Location – The
Plant / Department / Place of work.
c)
Person Injured –
Name, Age, Sex, Wage, and Occupation.
d)
Injury Type –
Part of body injured or Nature of injury.
e)
Agency of
Accident.
f)
Hazardous
Conditions.
g)
Unsafe Acts,
Unsafe Condition.
h)
Witnesses.
i)
Find out what
particular job and what purpose of the job the person works doing at the time
of accident.
SUMMARY:
The
main points to remember when Investigating Accidents are:
Ø
Get to the scene
promptly.
Ø
Be sure the
injured are treated first.
Ø
Apply empathy in
interviews with witnesses and the injured.
Ø
Encourage
suggestions.
Ø
Be objective –
seek the facts.
Ø
Publicize the
facts so that all may benefit & Follow up.
