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It’s important for every company to have an organized process for looking into accidents. This process should be based on well-written accident reports.

A good accident report must include a few crucial elements. The reporting method starts with uncovering facts and ends with suggestions for avoiding costly future workplace accidents. Most companies use a standard form that is quite thorough. Such a form should include sections for fact-finding, the sequence of events, analysis and recommendations.

Fact finding

A thorough accident report needs to start with a reporting of the facts. A report should include the following details: time of the incident, location, names of those directly involved, supervisors of those involved, names of any witnesses, circumstances at the moment of the incident, environmental conditions, injuries, medical treatment and damage to property.

Establish the sequence of events

Once the who, what, when, where and why of the incident has been documented, the next step is to lay out a precise timeline.

A report should describe all events that led to up the incident. For instance, the employee may have been walking, reaching, climbing or using a tool when the incident happened. It is also important to document what anyone nearby was doing at the time.

Next, the report should outline the incident itself. For instance, an employee may have been hit by a falling pallet or fallen from a ladder. The incident may not necessarily be a singular event; for example, working all day in the hot sun or lifting many heavy objects in a row.

The report should then describe events that directly followed the incident. Perhaps the employee clutched their head or started limping. Reactions to the incident by co-workers should also be recorded.

The incident ought to be described on the report in enough detail that anyone can clearly imagine what took place. You might think about making a diagram to show – in a basic, effective manner – the collection of events associated with the incident for inclusion in the incident report. Photos of the accident scene or any other visual aids that might be helpful should also be included.

Analysis

The next section of the report should attempt to determine the primary, secondary and other contributing causes to an accident.

The primary cause is the main cause of an incident, such as an oil spill on a floor that caused a fall. The secondary cause didn’t cause an incident but made it worse, such as not wearing personal protective equipment. Other contributing factors might be things like poor lighting or inadequate training.

Make recommendations

The recommendations section of an accident report should directly address the causes of the incident. For instance, having a spill clean-up kit in the area can make cleaning up spills faster and easier.

At Action Group Staffing, we support all the safety initiatives put forward by our clients. If your company is currently looking for a custom talent solution, please contact us today.


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