Accident Investigations

Legal Requirements for Accident Investigations

Employers have an obligation to investigate accidents and incidents where there was actual harm or where there was potential for harm. The purpose is to determine causes, identify hazards and take corrective action to prevent recurrence. Where the likelihood of recurrence and severity of injury are low, an investigation may not be required. Where the likelihood of recurrence and/or severity of injury are high, an investigation should be completed

Procedure for Accident Investigations

If it is evident that there was potential for incapacitating injury, or frequency for such incidents is high, an Investigation will be required, normally completed by a person with appropriate training and carrying a level of responsibility and decision-making

Corrective actions must be taken, where practicable, to ensure the accident (or similar accidents) are not repeated. Senior management involvement and approval is recommended to ensure corrective actions are resourced and prioritised

How to complete Accident Investigations using SafetyBase

Open an Investigation file under Accidents/Accident Investigations. SafetyBase prompts you to analyse the causes using a simple questioning procedure, then create corrective actions and provide further follow up information

While entering the investigation information, you can create corrective actions (Tasks) immediately by using the inline New Task button at the left of the screen, or the toolbar at the bottom of the page. You can also add Tasks after submitting the form, by going to the Tasks tab

Using Tasks while completing Accident Investigations

Tasks can be notifications, instructions, alerts or corrective actions associated with a particular file. You can add Tasks as you go during data entry, using the inline New Task button in your screen. You can also use the Toolbar at the bottom of your screen during data input, or the Tasks tab after you submit the file

As you create a file, SafetyBase may automatically set suggested Tasks, depending on some of your droplist selections. Watch for inline informational messages, which are there to alert you if a droplist might create an automatic Task

Please note that although these automatic Tasks may be created as helpful prompts, they do have generic wording, so you have the choice of creating Tasks yourself. This is advisable if you prefer the wording to be specific or personal. If appropriate, you can select the "Recurring" button, which lets you create a repeating schedule, (say, an inspection, review or check-up interval)

When any Task is set in the system, it will display in the form you created, a summary tab in the file and in the Task List of the person it is allocated to (Recurring Tasks don't show until they are due). Tasks are also e-mailed to the allocated person on the required number of days prior to the Due Date

A small number of tasks have been set as mandatory (example, reporting serious injuries to the statutory authority). These cannot be deleted.

SafetyBase Tips and Tricks for managing Accident Investigations

• If the Investigation status is left as "Under Action", it will show on the Dashboard Open Files list. This is important, as a means of ensuring visibility to all affected parties

• Consider attaching files (example, a video or photograph of the accident scene). Record the file's details by completing the appropriate data fields under the inline Attach Documents button, or in the tab after you have submitted the file. Then browse to the document and click the button to upload it. The document will upload and be available for viewing. You can attach multiple files this way

• You can link other SafetyBase files with your Investigation (example, Hazards, Accident Reports or similar files that have direct relevance). Select the SafetyBase file from the droplists in the LInk Files tab or inline button while entering data, and submit it. The file will show as a link. If you follow the link, the linked file automatically links you back to the first file. You can link multiple files this way. Many file types will display as a thumbnail

• Remember to associate People with this file type, using the Associate People tab, or the inline button during data entry, so you can get reports on their safety history

• Check file history in the "Status Log" tab. This automatically records status changes to the file. If you would like to monitor the file, click the "Watch" button at the top of the file summary. This will place the file on your Watchlist and e-mail you whenever the file status changes