Why have this talk? Understanding the root causes of accidents allows the organisation to make changes to control measures to prevent reoccurrence in the future.
What will this talk cover? Why accident investigation is important and how to support an investigation.
Accident Investigation Toolbox Talk
Immediately after an accident
If a serious accident or fatality has occurred you will need to shut down the site to prevent further injury and so that equipment/substances, etc can be investigated.
Explain the company policy on when this should happen or who makes the decision.
What should you do?
If you are involved in an accident investigation, whether internal or external, you should:
- jot down your memories of where you were and what you were doing at the time of the accident while fresh, to refer to later
- listen carefully to the questions and remain calm
- state honestly what you saw, heard or did in the events leading up to, during and following the accident
- try not to be influenced by what colleagues are saying
- do not be afraid to say when you do not know the answer — guessing will not help anyone and will just delay any investigation
- remember that the reason for the investigation is to learn about what happened to prevent the accident from happening again, it is not to assign blame.
Questions for employees
- Who should be informed in your organisation if an accident has just occurred?
- If you witnessed an accident, what sort of details should you note while you remember?
Do you have any questions for me?
Contact us for further information.
