Excerpt: Accident investigation is an important part of a supervisor’s responsibility and accident prevention. And investigation answers the questions of who, what, when, where, how, and why. A good investigation obtains as much information as possible about the accident. It may also include photographs, sketches, witness statements, and quite possibly include investigations conducted by engineering, and maintenance personnel. Supervisors already know how to conduct investigations. This program will concentrate on the importance of conducting a thorough investigation, and why the information is necessary. When you understand the purpose and reasons for the investigation, and how the reports are used, it will make you a better supervisor and actually reduce the time you spend writing reports.

Your accident report may look like this. You may have additional forms to supplement the information, but the supervisor’s report of injury must be completed for each industrial injury or illness that requires medical treatment. Accident investigation and reporting is a preventive effort. The information you provide on the report is fed into a computer to identify injury trends which will identify problem area on which to concentrate. It is vital that a thorough professional investigation and report be completed when an injury occurs. Now to complete the report form, make sure your reports are legible, either printed or typed. The general information on the top of the form: The employee name, Location, Sex, Age, and so on

Although the employee may provide some information the injured employee may not fill out the report, that’s the supervisor’s responsibility. Most of the information is self-explanatory, and we won’t bore you with each and every box to complete.

Be sure to identify the employee correctly. Don’t use nicknames. Use the employee’s full name. The employee’s social security number is very important as it serves as verification of the correct employee. The length of service is important for several reasons. You may discover that many short-term employees or newly hired employees are having the majority of injuries. This would provide information that they need training before going to work, or more supervision initially to prevent injuries. A trend of employees with 2-5 years of experience may indicate they need additional training or safety reminders to prevent accidents. The time of day may also provide data that accidents are occurring at a particular time of day. You can then develop programs to reduce these accidents and injuries. All the information has a purpose. The date the accident reported and the actual date of injury are very important. On what date to the employee visit the doctor? Did the employee seek outside medical treatment without consulting a supervisor? In other words, was the treatment authorized? List the number of injuries or illnesses the employee was involved in during the previous fiscal year. You may identify an employee that has frequent accidents which indicates the need for corrective action. Next, be sure to list all the witnesses to the accident. Many times that provides key information to determine the cause of an accident. If there are no witnesses write none or n/a, don’t leave the space blank. Description of the accident is critical. Keep in mind many people will read the report who may not be familiar with the process or job language. Avoid using jargon known only to those familiar with the work. Describe what the employee was doing prior to the incident, and what the employee was doing during the incident. Be specific and be sure of your facts. Go to the accident site and make sure you have all your questions answered before you write the report. If you need additional paper to complete a factual report attach it to the report. The information you obtained may be used in court or other proceedings, and it’s important to have the facts. Next, identify the part of the body injured. If multiple injuries were sustained make sure you identify all body parts affected.