STARTING YOUR HEALTH AND SAFETY PROGRAM
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100-CAG-01-IGDO © 2025, Workplace Safety & Prevention Services (WSPS)
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APPENDIX 3
ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION
The purpose of an investigation is to determine the causes of the accident so that steps can be taken to
prevent a recurrence. The first person to investigate an accident should be the supervisor of the area
in which it occurred. Some accidents may need to be investigated by a team that includes persons with
special technical knowledge or expertise. A designated joint worker health and safety committee worker
member or the health and safety representative is required to investigate accidents resulting in fatalities
or critical injuries.
Procedures for investigating accidents should specify who is responsible for conducting accident
investigations, to whom reports are to be submitted, and whose responsibility it is to ensure corrective
action is taken. Use a standard form to record the results, such an Investigation Report form. Details
to be recorded include the machinery or equipment involved, a description of the injuries, and the
circumstances of the accident
The investigator should gather relevant information through inspection of the accident scene
and discussions with personnel involved. A clear description of exactly what happened and of the
circumstances leading up to the accident should also be written.
In the initial stage of the investigation, the questions asked will usually identify the immediate causes of
the accident, namely, those substandard practices and/or conditions that resulted in or contributed to
the accident. These questions may include:
Was the work authorized?
Did a machine failure occur?
Was the machinery involved properly guarded?
Were the people involved adequately trained?
Was there adequate lighting?
The immediate causes, however, are symptoms of a deeper problem. Determine the underlying or root
causes of the accident by asking the question "Why did the substandard practices or conditions exist?
The "basic causes" will invariably stem from a lack of management control. A thorough investigation
will reveal the defects in the management system that allowed the accident to happen, that is, the not so
obvious causes.
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