4.2 Investigating Accidents and Incidents Flashcards
Accident:
an undesired event that results in injury, ill health, or property damage.
Near miss:
an undesired event that had the potential to cause injury, ill health or property damage, but did not.
How do Accidents Happen? 2
Domino theoriesMulti-causality theories
Domino theories of accident causation suggest that
accidents result from a chain of sequential events like a line of dominoes falling over. When one of the dominoes falls, it triggers the next one, and the next, eventually resulting in an accident and injury or other loss.
Domino Theory stages 5
Root CausesUnderlying CausesDirect CausesAccidentLoss
Why Investigate? 10
How and why things went wrong; What really happens and how work is really done; and Any deficiencies in risk control management, enabling improvement going forward. The Management of Health and Safety at Work etc Regulations 1999 (MHSWR) requires employers to plan, organise, control, monitor and review their health and safety arrangements – accident investigation plays an important part in this process; In the case of a civil action, there is a need to make full disclosure of the circumstances of an accident to the injured parties considering legal action. The courts are likely to view a thorough investigation and appropriate remedial action as demonstration of a positive attitude to health and safety; and Insurance companies will also require the findings of the investigation when dealing with a claim. The prevention of further similar adverse events; The prevention of business losses due to disruption, stoppage, lost orders and the costs of legal actions; An improvement in employee morale and attitude towards health and safety as a consequence of positive action; and The development of managerial skills such as problem solving and action planning.
Members of the investigation team will require: 5
Detailed knowledge of the work activities involved; Familiarity with health and safety good practice, standards and legal requirements; Suitable investigative skills (e.g. information gathering, interviewing, evaluating and analysing). Sufficient time and resources to carry out the investigation efficiently; and The authority to make decisions and act on their recommendations.
The Investigation Process 4
Step 1: Gathering Information Step 2: Analysing the Information Step 3: Identifying Suitable Risk Control Measures Step 4: The Action Plan and Implementation
The Investigation Process …Sources of information will include: 3
The sceneThe peopleRelevant documentation
The following accidents must be reported: 7
DeathsSpecified major injuries Over-7-day injuriestaken from the scene of an accident to hospital work-related diseasesDangerous occurrencesdangerous gas fittings
