Accident Investigation Report
A proper investigation after an accident is best summarized with a post accident investigation report.
This form is a summary of your entire investigation, and should be completed with assistance from all statements, evidence, witnesses, and the injured party.
Accident investigations are intended to determine the cause of an incident, to identify unsafe conditions or acts and to recommend corrective actions so that similar incidents don’t occur in the future. In conducting an accident investigation, the team must look beyond the immediate causes of an incident. It is far too easy, and often misleading, to conclude that carelessness or failure to follow a procedure alone was the cause of an incident. The purpose is prevention, not blame. To do so fails to discover the underlying or root causes of the incident, and therefore fails to identify the systemic changes and measures needed to prevent future incidents. When a shortcoming is identified, it is important to ask why it existed and why it was not previously addressed. After an investigation, employers should without any undue delay take corrective actions to mitigate all of the identified hazards.
For example:
- If a procedure or safety rule was not followed, why was the procedure or rule not followed? This might be an opportunity to review the workplace job hazard analysis, and determine if the rule is appropriate.
- Did production pressures play a role, and, if so, why were production pressures permitted to jeopardize safety?
- Was the procedure out-of-date or safety training inadequate? If so, why had the problem not been previously identified, or, if it had been identified, why had it not been addressed?
Following these steps can make for an effective accident investigation process, allowing for better identification of all contributing factors:
- Report the accident to the designated person
- Provide first aid and medical care to injured person(s) and prevent further injuries or damage
- Investigate the accident
- Identify the causes
- Report the findings
- Develop a plan for corrective action
- Implement the plan
- Evaluate the effectiveness of the corrective action
- Make changes for continuous improvement
View & Download the Accident Investigation Report below:
