1. Incident
Investigations
on Construction
Sites
Oluwatimilehin Ogundele
HAN 470

2. Provide guidance and awareness on
construction sites
Increase the understanding of the process of
incident investigation
Prevent incidents through the analysis of
factors leading to incidents

3.  An after the fact reaction or response
to an unfortunate event
 Purpose is to determine root causes
and recommend corrective actions to
eliminate or control hazards, according
to the National Safety Council
 Steps can be implemented through use
of policy, procedures, and training to
avoid future occurrences
 Goal is prevention and learning, not to
place blame
What is an Incident Investigation?

4. The 6 Key Questions of Investigation

5. Question 1: WHO?
Who was injured?
Who saw the accident?
Who instructed or
assigned the victim?
Who else was
involved?
Who can help prevent
recurrence?

6. What was the accident?
What tools were used?
What was the injury?
What protective equipment was provided
and was it used?
What safety rules were violated?
What will be done to prevent recurrence?
Question 2: WHAT?

7.  When did the accident occur?
 When did he/she start the job?
 When was he/she assigned to the job?
 When were the hazards pointed out to him/her?
 When had his/her supervisor last checked on job progress?
Question 3: WHEN?

8. Where did the accident occur?
Where was he/she at the time of the accident?
Where were witnesses when the accident occurred?
Where were co-workers at the time of the accident?
Where was the supervisor at the time of the accident?
Question 4: WHERE?

9.  Why was he/she injured?
 Why did he/she do what
he/she did?
 Why did he/she use the
tools or equipment
he/she used?
 Why did he/she continue
working under the
circumstances?
 Why weren’t specific
instructions given?
Question 5: WHY?

10. How did he/she get hurt?
How could he/she have
avoided the accident?
How could supervisor
have prevented this
accident?
How could co-workers
have avoided it?
How was he/she trained?
Question 6: HOW?

11. Key Words
Incident - an unexpected event that may or
may not have caused personal injury or
property damage
Accident - an unexpected or unplanned event
that results in injury to persons, property
damage, or loss
A Near Miss - a term for an event that could
have caused injury to persons, property
damage or loss

12. Basic Causation Facts
As a Safety Officer, remember these key facts:
Accidents are caused.
Accidents can be prevented if the
causes are eliminated.
Unless the causes are eliminated,
the same accidents will happen again.

13. Accidents and Investigations
are effective when you:
 Identify causes and determine how it resulted in
injury, property damage, or death
 Identify means to prevent similar future accident or
incident from occurring
 Utilize investigation findings to develop or revise
policies and procedures
 Determine if training is necessary to prevent
occurrence
 Ensure compliance with legislation as defined by
OSHA and other agencies
 Determine financial implications and process
compensation claims

17. Lack of Management Systems
Failures that permit basic system causes to exist:
Inadequate safety program
Inadequate compliance with program standards
Inadequate procedures and implementations
Inadequate resources and commitment.

18. Basic Causes: Personal Factors
Preconditions for immediate causes:
Inadequate psychological capability
Inadequate physical capability
Physical stress or illness
Improper motivation
Lack of knowledge
Lack of skill

19. Basic Causes: Job Factors
Poor working standards and systems
Poor leadership
Poor engineering
Poor purchasing
Poor maintenance
Inadequate tools

20. Immediate Causes: Unsafe Acts
 Using equipment improperly
 Failure to follow procedures
 Operating equipment without
authority
 Operating at improper speed

21. Immediate Causes:
Unsafe Conditions
Inadequate barriers or guards
Defective tools or equipment
Poor house keeping
Inadequate warning systems
Inadequate ventilation
Inadequate PPE

22. Stages of Accident Investigation
Stage 1: Preparation
Stage 2: Active Investigation
Stage 3: Research, Analysis,
Corrective Actions & Communication

23. Investigation Process
Stage 1: Preparation
Procedures
Training
Toolkits
 Barricade tape, paint, pencils, required PPE for
investigations, clipboard, camera, voice recorder,
flashlight, batteries, appropriate forms, checklists,
and applicable regulations.

24. Investigation Process Stage 2:
Active Investigation
Preserving and documenting scene
Mobilizing team collecting and controlling evidence
Interviewing witnesses.

25. Stage 3: Research, Analysis
Corrective Actions and Communication
Review documentation.
Analyze and identify direct and basic causes.
Communicate lessons learned and prevent re-
occurrence.

26. Active Investigation
A successful investigation team would gather their
information from:
Observation
Documentary Evidence
Interviews

27. Investigation Traps
Put your emotions aside.
Do not let your feelings interfere, stick to the facts.
Never assume anything.
Do not make any judgment.
Do not pre-judge.
Find out what really happened.
Do not let your beliefs cloud the facts.

28. Summary
 Secure the scene immediately. Usually this is the
responsibility of the first person on the scene. The
employer or supervisor notified is responsible to preserve
evidence and ensure that there is no further risk of injury
or damage.
 Basic causes are the main reason why accidents happen.
 Accidents are an inevitable outcome of lack of
management control.
 Critical injury or fatality scenes must not be disturbed
without permission from an Agency inspector.
 No one should remove anything connected to the scene.

29. Reference
 "Chapter 7." Supervisors' Safety Manual. Itasca,
IL: National Safety Council, 2009. 143-61. Print.