Incident
Investigation -- Tips, Techniques & Trivia
This month marks the beginning of my eighth year in the investigation
consulting field. When I started I had no idea where this venture
might take me. Peers told me to expect that my clients would
take me to areas that I never imagined. Physically they have
taken me across Canada and into the USA from Chicago to Albuquerque
to Prudhoe Bay.
Clients have challenged me to develop investigation programs
services beyond what I envisioned when I was starting out. I've
got great clients! I've had the privilege of working with organizations
and safety professionals that are really trying to make a difference
in their safety programs. It's been a great time and a fun ride
and I look forward to continuing this relationship.
Jeff
Interviewing
tips.
Keeping an open mind
These
tips deal with the investigation of sensitive issues such as sexual
harassment, however, some concepts would be equally applicable
to serious incident investigations as well.
- Do
not assume that the allegation is true.
-
Do not accept written statements or memoranda as the truth.
-
Analyze all statements critically, things that sound like an
exaggeration usually are.
-
Look for inconsistencies, and issues that the interviewee seems
to be avoiding or hints of a hidden agenda.
-
People routinely leave details out, sometimes on purpose.
-
Reviewing previously prepared memoranda and statements will
almost always lead to more questions.
Source:
peramerica.com
Run
off the Road Crashes
When
a vehicle runs off the road and enters a shoulder or median, look
for and document the characteristics of the physical evidence
at the beginning point where the vehicle ran off the road.
For instance, measure the angle at which the vehicle left the
road. Note if tire skid marks, scuffmarks, or furrow marks exist
or if the tires were simply rolling on the grass. Note the total
length that the vehicle traveled off the road and in what manner
it was traveling (i.e. straight forward, yawing, off-tracking,
etc.)
If the vehicle re-enters the pavement, note its
angle back onto the pavement and how it was traveling. Real world
crash evidence indicates that drivers who are avoiding another
vehicle and an object on the road will leave the roadway at an
abrupt angle (more than 5 degrees); whereas fatigued or drowsy
drivers run off the road at gradual angles (1-4 degrees). Fatigued
drivers also usually do not attempt evasive action such as braking
or steering until after traveling relatively long distances on
the shoulder and/or median, and if evasive action is taken, it
will usually be of an abrupt or sudden manner.
Source: ruhl.com
Investigation
Axioms
AXIOM:
an established or widely accepted principle
Everyone and everything always have to be someplace, doing
something, during an occurrence.
L Benner
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