This material is for training purposes only to inform the reader of occupational safety and health best practices and general compliance requirements and is not a substitute for provisions of the OSH Act of 1970 or any governmental regulatory agency.
MODULE ONE: INITIATING THE INVESTIGATION
First things first...
The first step in an effective accident investigation procedure is to secure the accident scene as soon as possible so that we can accurately gather facts. At this point, you are not yet interested in what "caused" the accident. Instead, need to focus on just gathering as much pertinent information as possible. To secure the accident scene, simply use yellow caution tape, place warning cones, or post a guard to keep people away. Why secure the accident scene? |
That's a good question. It's always important to know why we are doing something, isn't it. In this situation, we need to prevent material evidence from being removed or relocated in some way. This is especially true if the accident is a reportable (serious or fatal) injury that might trigger an OSHA accident investigation. Remember, at the request of OSHA, persons having direct authority must preserve and mark for identification, materials, tools or equipment necessary to the proper investigation of an accident, so it's important that material evidence does not somehow "walk off" the scene. |
Two things may disappear after an accident occurs:
- Material evidence. Material evidence is anything that might be important in helping us find out what happened. Somehow, tools, equipment, and other items just seem to move. The employer is anxious to "clean up" the accident scene so that people can get back to work. It's important to develop a procedure to protect material evidence so that it does not get moved or disappear. If evidence disappears, I'm sure you can see why it might be difficult to uncover the surface causes for the accident. If you can't uncover the surface causes, it will be almost impossible to discover and correct the root causes. We'll talk more about surface and root causes later in the course.
- Memory. Accidents are traumatic events that result in both physical and psychological trauma. Of course, there may be physical trauma to the victim and others. Varying degrees of psychological trauma may also result depending on how "close" an individual is to the accident or victim. Everyone is affected somehow. As the length of time after an accident increases, thoughts and emotions distort what people believe they saw and heard. Conversations with others further distort reality. After a while, the memory of everyone associated in any way with the accident will be altered in some way. With that in mind, it's important to get written statements and conduct interviews as soon as possible.
| 1904.39, Reporting of Fatality or Multiple Hospitalization Incidents to OSHA (a) Basic requirement. Within eight (8) hours after the death of any employee from a work-related incident or the in-patient hospitalization of three or more employees as a result of a work-related incident, you must orally report the fatality/multiple hospitalization by telephone or in person to the Area Office of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), U.S. Department of Labor, that is nearest to the site of the incident. You may also use the OSHA toll-free central telephone number, 1–800–321–OSHA (1–800–321–6742). (b) Implementation— (1) If the Area Office is closed, may I report the incident by leaving a message on OSHA's answering machine, faxing the area office, or sending an e-mail? No, if you can't talk to a person at the Area Office, you must report the fatality or multiple hospitalization incident using the 800 number. (2) What information do I need to give to OSHA about the incident? You must give OSHA the following information for each fatality or multiple hospitalization incident: (i) The establishment name; (ii) The location of the incident; (iii) The time of the incident; (iv) The number of fatalities or hospitalized employees; (v) The names of any injured employees; (vi) Your contact person and his or her phone number; and (vii) A brief description of the incident. (3) Do I have to report every fatality or multiple hospitalization incident resulting from a motor vehicle accident? No, you do not have to report all of these incidents. If the motor vehicle accident occurs on a public street or highway, and does not occur in a construction work zone, you do not have to report the incident to OSHA. However, these injuries must be recorded on your OSHA injury and illness records, if you are required to keep such records. (4) Do I have to report a fatality or multiple hospitalization incident that occurs on a commercial or public transportation system? No, you do not have to call OSHA to report a fatality or multiple hospitalization incident if it involves a commercial airplane, train, subway or bus accident. However, these injuries must be recorded on your OSHA injury and illness records, if you are required to keep such records. (5) Do I have to report a fatality caused by a heart attack at work? Yes, your local OSHA Area Office director will decide whether to investigate the incident, depending on the circumstances of the heart attack. (6) Do I have to report a fatality or hospitalization that occurs long after the incident? No, you must only report each fatality or multiple hospitalization incident that occurs within thirty (30) days of an incident. (7) What if I don't learn about an incident right away? If you do not learn of a reportable incident at the time it occurs and the incident would otherwise be reportable under paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section, you must make the report within eight (8) hours of the time the incident is reported to you or to any of your agent(s) or employee(s). |
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