what is the primary purpose of accident investigation

Accident Investigation

If an accident or ‘near-miss’ has occurred in the workplace it is important that the incident is investigated thoroughly in order to prevent future accidents.

Risk Safety Services can investigate your accident or ‘near-miss’ either on your behalf or together with a qualified member of staff.

Why does an accident need investigating?

·         To find out why the incident occurred

·         To prevent further incidents in the future

·         To comply with any legal regulations

·         To find out the cost of the accident

·         To start the process of any compensation claims

All the above categories need to be investigated and dealt with as quickly as possible.

Who Investigates Accidents?

A qualified investigation team like Risk Safety Services should investigate accidents and incidents in the workplace. They can work together with:

·         A Safety Officer

·         An Employee with Health and Safety Training

·         A Health and Safety representative

The people who investigate accidents should be experienced and knowledgeable about investigation techniques.

What do Investigators look for?

The investigator will look to see if the accident was caused by a breach of Occupational Health and Safety Training health and safety regulations, such as storing chemicals in an unsafe manner. Or, whether it was caused by human error and if so why?

Investigators will want to know if safety procedures were followed, were the appropriate tools and materials used and were all safety devices working.

They will also look at the environmental causes, such as the temperature, whether or not there was enough light in the building and if any hazardous fumes were present.

Investigators will look at workplace equipment and find out if equipment was in working order and was well maintained, were dangerous materials properly labelled and was protective clothing worn.

What will they ask staff members?

Investigators are likely to ask about the health and welfare of staff, whether they were qualified to the job they were doing and if they were experienced or had received adequate training. Management will have to provide proof that safety procedures were understood by all staff members and that regular training was provided when necessary.

The management will also be asked if a risk assessment was in place at the time of the incident and when this was last updated. It should show that staff were aware of emergency procedure and that all hazards and risks had been identified.

Once the accident investigator has gathered all the necessary information, it will be put together in a report with the investigators conclusions and recommendations for the future. 

Risk Management Services are experienced in the field of accident investigation and they can conduct an in-depth investigation into an accident or incident which occurred in the workplace. They will identify problem areas and make recommendations which will improve safety.

Risk Safety Service also provide a number of E-Learning courses in the health and safety field. If you would like to talk to them about an accident investigation or any other aspect of health and safety, contact them through their website or by phoning them on 0843 523 0410.

Visit Us To Know More :

http://www.risksafetyservices.co.uk/