ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION & REPORTING

In order to prevent injuries and other undesired incidents (i.e. fire, MVA, oil spill, etc.), all 

accidents/incidents identified must be investigated to determine cause and corrective 

measures. Many accidents/incidents go unnoticed and few actually cause serious 

consequences. But, if an accident/incident goes unchecked and occurs frequently, it could 

eventually cause serious consequences.

Investigation

Reasons accidents should be investigated include:

 Root Cause Analysis – Determine the systemic root cause of an incident rather than 

immediately available causes so that effective changes to management systems can 

be implemented.

 Prevent similar accidents – Investigations can identify what actions will prevent similar 

incidents from occurring in the future. 

 Find facts, not faults – Focus efforts on identifying facts rather than finding fault or 

placing blame on individuals.

 Detect Incident Trends – Compile data from multiple incidents that may reveal 

common causes that are dismissed as insignificant when taken alone. Identify existing 

or emerging trends. 

 Document Facts - Record the incidents and the findings of an investigation.

 Provide information on costs – Assess the degree of damage and the value of losses.

 Legal and/or Litigation Requirements – Fulfill legal requirements and/or preparation for

potential litigation.

Incident Reporting & Record Keeping

Simply stated, reporting an accident/incident is the first step in the process of preventing 

recurrence. Supervisors have the primary responsibility to ensure incidents are properly 

reported up through their managers.