What are the steps involved in investigating an incident?
As little time as possible should be lost between the moment of an incident and the beginning of the investigation. With as little time elapsed as possible, so you can 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 or recording device
- Tape measure
All these items should be immediately available so an investigation can begin.
What should be done if the investigation reveals human error?
All employers have a legal duty under The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) to record and report certain work-related accidents by the quickest means possible to the relevant enforcement authority. In most cases, the relevant enforcement authority will be the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) or the local authority.
When a thorough worksite investigation reveals that a person or persons among management, supervisors, and workers are apparently at fault, this fact should be reported.
Failing to point out human failings that contributed to an incident will not only downgrade the quality of the investigation, but it will also allow future incidents to happen from similar causes because they have not been addressed.
Importance of Safe Working to Prevent Accidents
A safe working environment is one where no one must worry about a serious or fatal injury while doing their job. While this is ideal, safety can be hard to maintain if not given deliberate attention.
- Reduce the risk of accidents
Accidents can cause injuries that require medical treatment, time off work, and even disability or death. - Increases productivity
Workers who are injured or sick must take time off work. Additionally, their performance suffers when they return if their injury limits what tasks they can perform or how quickly they can do them. - Improves employees’ morale
Accidents are detrimental to employee morale and may lead to poor performance or high turnover rates if left unattended. - Helps avoid legal issues
Accidents can lead to legal proceedings against your company. This can cost thousands of pounds, which might put the company out of business!
How Stallard Kane Can Help
If you don’t feel sufficiently competent to create an Accident Investigation, Stallard Kane is on hand to help you as part of our Health & Safety service. We can assist by carrying out a full root cause analysis of the incident before making, and assisting with implementing any recommendations. This means you can further protect your business by preventing an incident from reoccurring.
As a Stallard Kane customer, you will receive regular communication. We will keep you updated regarding any necessary changes in Health & Safety legislation, either in person as part of your contracted audits and site meetings or in our regular news updates on our website or via email.
How to contact
For further assistance for your business, talk to our Health and Safety Team by calling 01427 420 402 or emailing healthandsafety@skaltd.co.uk and #oneoftheteam will be happy to help.
