What Does
Accident Investigation Mean?
Accident investigation is a process of systematic collection and analysis of information relating to a accident that led to the loss of property, time or health of individuals, or even the loss of lives.
Accident investigation is the scientific and academic analysis of the facts that occurred during an accident. An investigation is conducted to identify the root cause of an accident in an effort to make recommendations or take corrective actions to prevent the future occurrence of the same or a similar event.
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Safeopedia Explains Accident Investigation
Accident investigations reveal the usefulness of safety programs in any organization. Coming to a conclusion in finding root causes of accidents assists in recommending ways to prevent the same accident from reoccuring.
Accidents are investigated by on-scene supervisors and professional safety professionals with experience in the related field. In some organizations, there are dedicated accident investigators and well equipped teams to handle the aftermath of accidents. These employees have sufficient training and experience to investigate into an accident. Some organizations also use special templates for reporting accidents that contain root causes and also recommendations. A worthy investigation may disclose certain contributing factors and recommend several preventive measures.
Accident reports are generally composed of the following:
- A general description of the environment: what, when, where, who, how the accident happened
- What factors contributed to the accident. Including the state of individual, work related and management factors, etc.
- How to prevent future occurrences of similar events
- All who have been involved in the accident, investigation and reporting, etc.