Incident
Investigation -- Tips, Techniques & Trivia
The CSA Standard on Accident Investigation states that all
investigations should be team based and the team should not
include the immediate supervisor or the injured employee.
While I support the concept of team based investigations the
reality is that in most workplaces this is not practical and
the responsibility defaults to the supervisor of the area.
I feel most supervisors are quite capable of doing an objective
investigation in their own area. The concern of course, is that
it may be hard to be objective if you are blowing the whistle
on yourself.
The following article lists some of the benefits of having
the supervisor directly involved.
Jeff
Why
Should Supervisors Analyze Accidents?
Analyzing
accidents is the responsibility of all levels of management and
a concern of every employee. Supervisors however, are in a unique
position and have a special responsibility for this function.
The supervisor in the area where an accident occurred has certain
qualifications and advantages that other members of management
do not have.
Supervisors know the most about the work environment and the personal
background of the affected employee(s). Supervisors also have
the greatest familiarity with the equipment, machines, and materials
involved in the accident and know most about the standard work
practices in the area.
Supervisors
may also know if the employee has any preexisting physical conditions
and/or has a second job or is involved in various sport activities.
These conditions and outside activities could be important in
determining the compensability of any claim for worker’s
compensation.
Supervisors
have a personal interest in identifying accident causes. They
are directly responsible for the health and safety of their employees
in addition to the equipment, machines and materials in the work
area. Accident analysis focuses on the behaviors, conditions and
hazards that could endanger the health and safety of employees
and/or could damage costly equipment and materials or interrupt
services to clients.
Supervisors
can communicate more effectively with the employees in their area
than other managers and staff personnel using the terms and language
they understand. As a result, employees are often usually more
willing to talk more openly about their role or the role of their
coworkers in an accident.
Supervisors
can take the most immediate action to prevent an accident from
recurring. Supervisors also have the greatest opportunity to implement
changes in the management system that will have a permanent impact
upon future accident prevention efforts.
State
of Wisconsin: Principles of Accident Investigation & Analysis
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