Pub. 3 2015 Issue 4

20 San Diego Dealer Accident Investigation: Who? What? When? Where? Why? How? By Sam Celly, Celly Services, Inc. OSHA strongly encourages employers to investigate all incidents in which a worker was hurt, as well as close calls (sometimes called "near misses"), in which a worker might have been hurt if circumstances had been slightly different. National Safety Council defines accident as an undesired event that causes an injury or property damage. An incident, on the other hand, is an unplanned, undesired event that adversely affects the completion of the task. Near misses are events with no injury or loss, but with a slight shift in time or location, an injury would have easily happened. To many, "accident" suggests an event that was random, and could not have been prevented. Since nearly all worksite fatalities, injuries, and illnesses are preventable, OSHA suggests using the term "incident" investigation. Accident Investigation Accident investigations should be conducted by trained individuals with the primary focus of understanding why the accident or near miss occurred andwhat actions can be taken to preclude recurrence. In smaller organizations, the responsibility may lie directly with the supervisor responsible for the affected area or employee. Questions to ask in an accident investigation include: 1. What happened? Describe what took place to prompt the investigation: an injury to an employee, an incident that caused a production delay, damagedmaterial or any other conditions recognized as having a potential for losses or delays. 2. Why did the incident happen? Obtain all the facts surrounding the occurrence: what caused the situation to occur; who was involved; was/were the employee(s) qualified to perform the functions involved in the accident or near miss; were they properly trained; were proper operating procedures established for the task involved; were procedures followed, and if not, why not; where else does this or a similar situation exist, and how can it be corrected? 3. What should be done? The person conducting the investigation must determine which aspects of the operation or processes require additional attention. It is important to note that the purpose here is not to establish blame, but to determine what type of constructive action can eliminate the cause(s) of the accident or near miss. 4. What action has been taken? Action already taken to reduce or eliminate the exposures being inves- tigated should be noted, alongwith those remaining to be addressed. Any A ccident investigation should be the cornerstone of any safety program. Many safety pro- grams concentrate on safety inspections and training, but miss out on accident investiga- tion. They do so at their own peril. Investigating accidents is not only a good idea, but also a requirement. Here, we provide some guidance and tools to complete an accident investigation.