Objectives of Incidents & Accidents Investigations

Accidents happen. When an accident or incident has occurred it is typically examined by a special investigator. Whether it is a workplace incident, car accident or fire, these trained experts are brought in to not only determine the cause, but to help ensure it does not occur again.

Prevention and Problem Correction

• An accident or incident investigator needs to understand what the cause of the incident was to begin with. If it was due to faulty equipment or safety instruments, an investigator can notify the manufacturer or company to ensure the problem is corrected. Investigators also look for ways to prevent this incident from occurring again such as creating specialized training, modifying equipment to be safer or creating new procedures for how something is used to prevent future incidents.

Trend Reporting

• Trend reporting is important data for manufacturers, company insurers and human resources professionals. Reporting trends on accidents or incidents within a certain setting, time of day or type of equipment can be evidence that a system or piece of equipment is in need of change.

Cause, Fault and Liability

• Accident and incident investigators need to find the cause of the occurrence. In cases of fire, for example, an incident investigator must determine what caused the fire to begin or spread. This fault can be used for liability (to determine if the insurance company must pay for repairs) or to determine whether or not the fire was caused by means of arson. In the case of an automobile accident, investigators must determine which party was the cause of the accident in order to determine fault.

Compliance with Safety Regulations

• There are safety regulations that need to be complied with just about anywhere you go. This can be applied in the work place, driving your car or even operating an appliance at home. An incident investigator will determine if the person involved in the accident was complying with all safety rules and regulations when the accident occurred or if the individual was being careless. This can also be applied to whether or not a company overall was training employees to comply with safety regulations.

Worker's Compensation

• Before an employee can receive worker's compensation benefits it must be determined whether the accident or incident was the fault of the employer. An investigator will determine items such as safety regulations, the employee's behavior and other factors surrounding the accident itself. If the investigator determines that the accident was legitimate then the employee will receive his worker's compensation benefit.