Accident Investigation

Accident investigation should ideally be carried out by management who have full knowledge of the workplace and systems as soon as is practicable. Information should be gathered from all sources that are available including material data sheets, witness statements, training records and risk assessments.

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The extent of the investigation will depend upon the severity of the accident / incident. For a low key event it may be appropriate for it to be investigated by senior management, whereas a serious event will require a full depth investigation with the HSE involved where a death occurs. Ultimately this could lead to criminal prosecution and / or claim for compensation for personal injury. 

Employees must be advised of the immediate and any underlying causes of the accident and any new control measures established to prevent recurrence and where necessary re train employees where required.

The underlying factor is that root cause be ascertained and the results of corrective action(s) taken are fed back into the management system to prevent repetition or reoccurrence.