Workplace Accident Investigation & Consulting Services
Accident Investigation
What Is a Workplace Accident and Why Should It Be Investigated?
The term “accident” can be defined as an unplanned event that interrupts the completion of an activity, and that may (or may not) include injury or property damage. An incident usually refers to an unexpected event that did not cause injury or damage this time but had the potential. “Near miss” or “dangerous occurrence” are also terms for an event that could have caused harm but did not.
Please note: The term incident is used in some situations and jurisdictions to cover both an “accident” and “incident”. It is argued that the word “accident” implies that the event was related to fate or chance. When the root cause is determined, it is usually found that many events were predictable and could have been prevented if the right actions were taken — making the event not one of fate or chance (thus, the word incident is used). For simplicity, we will use the term accident to mean all of the above events.
Reasons to investigate a workplace accident include:
Most importantly, to find out the cause of accidents and to prevent similar accidents in the future.
To fulfill any legal requirements.
To determine the cost of an accident.
To determine compliance with applicable safety regulations.
To process workers’ compensation claims.
Incidents that involve no injury or property damage should still be investigated to determine the hazards that should be corrected. The same principles apply to a quick inquiry of a minor incident and to the more formal investigation of a serious event.
Who should do the accident investigating?
Ideally, an investigation would be conducted by someone experienced in accident causation, experienced in investigative techniques, fully knowledgeable of the work processes, procedures, persons, and industrial relations environment of a particular situation.
Some jurisdictions provide guidance such as requiring that it must be conducted jointly, with both management and labor represented, or that the investigators must be knowledgeable about the work processes involved.
In most cases, the supervisor should help investigate the event. Other members of the team can include:
Employees with knowledge of the work.
Safety Officer.
Health and Safety Committee.
Union representative, if applicable.
Employees with experience in investigations.
“Outside” expert.
Representative from local government.
Should the immediate supervisor be on the team?
The advantage is that this person is likely to know most about the work and persons involved and the current conditions. Furthermore, the supervisor can usually take immediate remedial action. The counter argument is that there may be an attempt to gloss over the supervisors shortcomings in the accident. This situation should not arise if the accident is investigated by a team of people, and if the worker representative(s) and the members review all accident investigation reports thoroughly.
Why Identify the Root Cause of a Workplace Accident?
An investigator who believes that accidents are caused by unsafe conditions will likely try to uncover conditions as causes. On the other hand, one who believes they are caused by unsafe acts will attempt to find the human errors that are causes. Therefore, it is necessary to examine some underlying factors in a chain of events that ends in an accident.
The important point is that even in the most seemingly straightforward accidents, seldom, if ever, is there only a single cause. For example, an “investigation” which concludes that an accident was due to worker carelessness, and goes no further, fails to seek answers to several important questions such as:
Was the worker distracted? If yes, why was the worker distracted?
Was a safe work procedure being followed? If not, why not?
Were safety devices in order? If not, why not?
Was the worker trained? If not, why not?
What are the steps involved in investigating an accident?
The accident investigation process involves the following steps:
Report the accident occurrence to a designated person within the organization.
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.
Implement the plan.
Evaluate the effectiveness of the corrective action.
Make changes for continuous improvement.
As little time as possible should be lost between the moment of an accident or near miss and the beginning of the investigation. In this way, one is most likely to be able to observe the conditions as they were at the time, prevent disturbance of evidence, and identify witnesses. The tools that members of the investigating team may need (pencil, paper, camera, film, camera flash, tape measure, etc.) should be immediately available so that no time is wasted.
Our Workplace Accident Investigation & Consulting Services
Everything above describes how an accident investigation should work in general — what our workplace accident investigation & consulting services add is a team that’s actually run this process on live construction and industrial sites, not just studied it. When you call us in after an incident, we lead or support the root cause analysis, help assemble the right investigation team, and make sure the findings get documented in a way that holds up to OSHA, insurance, and operator scrutiny. Because time matters immediately after an incident, our workplace accident investigation & consulting team is available on the same 24/7/365 basis as the rest of our safety consulting services.
Root Cause Analysis That Goes Beyond the Obvious Answer
A workplace incident investigation that stops at “worker error” rarely prevents the next one. Our root cause analysis process digs into the conditions, training gaps, and procedural breakdowns that let an incident happen in the first place, using the same framework outlined above — distraction, procedure adherence, equipment condition, and training. That level of detail is also what separates a defensible report from one that falls apart under review.
Expert Witness Safety Consulting
When an incident results in litigation or a formal claims dispute, our expert witness safety consulting draws on the same root cause analysis work already done for the investigation, translating technical findings into testimony that holds up in a legal setting. Combined with our broader safety consulting services, this gives clients a single team that can handle the investigation, the corrective action, and — if it comes to that — the legal defense of the findings. We work with legal counsel to determine early whether expert witness safety consulting is likely to be needed, so the investigation is documented correctly from day one rather than reconstructed later.
Ready to get started?
Contact us today. We will be glad to assist with your accident investigation.
What is a workplace accident investigation?
A workplace accident investigation is the structured process of determining what happened, why it happened, and what needs to change to prevent it from happening again — covering everything from initial reporting through root cause analysis and corrective action. It applies to accidents that caused injury or damage as well as near-misses that could have. The goal is prevention, not blame.
What steps are included in workplace accident investigation?
A thorough workplace incident investigation includes reporting the event, providing any needed first aid, securing the scene, gathering evidence and witness statements, identifying root causes, and documenting findings before implementing corrective action. The final step is evaluating whether the corrective action actually worked, which is often skipped but matters just as much as the investigation itself. Our team can lead this process or support your internal team through it.
Do you offer accident investigation consulting services?
Yes — our workplace accident investigation & consulting services cover the full process, from leading an investigation onsite to supporting your internal team with root cause analysis and documentation. We also provide expert witness safety consulting when an incident results in a claims dispute or litigation. Availability is 24/7/365 given how time-sensitive investigations are.
How does consulting reduce repeat incidents?
Safety consulting services reduce repeat incidents mainly by making sure the root cause analysis goes deep enough to catch systemic issues — training gaps, procedural breakdowns, equipment problems — instead of stopping at the first explanation that sounds plausible. That deeper analysis translates directly into corrective actions that address the actual cause, not just the symptom. Ongoing consulting also means someone is tracking whether those corrective actions held up over time.