162 Accident Investigation: Basic

The Seven-Step Investigation Process

The incident and accident investigation process we will discuss in this course will make sense if you understand that ultimately, the purpose of the investigation is to improve the safety management system.

Conducting the investigation for any other reason will likely result in ineffective solutions. In this course, we'll introduce a seven-step process for conducting accident investigations. The seven steps are:

1. Secure the incident scene
2. Document the incident scene
3. Conduct interviews
4. Conduct event analysis
5. Conduct cause analysis
6. Determine the solutions
7. Write the report

Step 1: Secure the Incident Scene

After emergency response and hazard control, secure the incident scene as soon as it is safe so that we can accurately gather facts. At this point, you are not yet interested in what "caused" the accident. Instead, you should focus on making the incident scene secure so that you can gather as much pertinent information as possible.

Use barriers, warning cones, or a guard as appropriate to limit access and preserve evidence. Follow emergency response procedures and avoid disturbing the scene unless necessary to protect people.

Don't start documenting the scene until it is safe to do so. As the accident investigator, you don't want to get in the way of emergency responders. It's also not safe to start if hazards have not been properly mitigated.

Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.