Accident Investigation & Techniques

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:

1. Investigate all injury-producing accidents as soon after their occurrence as circumstances permit. Many companies require Investigation within 24 Hours.

2. 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.