CITB Managers Accident Investigation and RIDDOR 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is a 'contributory factor' in accident investigation?
- Any factor that directly caused the accident
- A condition or circumstance that increased the likelihood or severity of the accident without being the direct cause — such as fatigue, time pressure, poor lighting, or inadequate supervision (Correct answer)
- Only factors related to the worker's behaviour
- Factors that are too minor to be worth investigating
Correct answer: A condition or circumstance that increased the likelihood or severity of the accident without being the direct cause — such as fatigue, time pressure, poor lighting, or inadequate supervision
Contributory factors are conditions that made an accident more likely or more severe without being the direct cause. They include: environmental factors (poor lighting, wet floor), human factors (fatigue, distraction), organisational factors (time pressure, inadequate supervision), and equipment factors (poor maintenance).
Question 2: Which of the following is an example of a 'systems failure' identified in an accident investigation?
- A worker tripped on an uneven surface
- The risk assessment for the work area had not been updated to reflect the introduction of new materials that created a slip hazard (Correct answer)
- A worker was not wearing their hi-vis vest
- A subcontractor's vehicle was parked in a restricted area
Correct answer: The risk assessment for the work area had not been updated to reflect the introduction of new materials that created a slip hazard
A systems failure is a failure in the management system that allowed an unsafe condition to exist — such as a risk assessment that was not updated when circumstances changed. Individual acts (not wearing hi-vis, wrong parking) are individual failures; the outdated risk assessment is a systems failure.
Question 3: Why should the person who was injured be interviewed as part of an accident investigation?
- To establish who is to blame
- They have first-hand knowledge of the exact sequence of events, the conditions at the time, and may be aware of factors that led to the incident that others did not observe (Correct answer)
- To obtain a statement for insurance purposes only
- Their account is less reliable than other witnesses and should be given less weight
Correct answer: They have first-hand knowledge of the exact sequence of events, the conditions at the time, and may be aware of factors that led to the incident that others did not observe
The injured person has direct first-hand knowledge of the sequence of events, the conditions they experienced, and factors that may have contributed. Their account is essential to the investigation and must be treated respectfully and without blame to encourage honest disclosure.
Question 4: What are 'leading indicators' in health and safety management and how do they relate to accident investigation?
- Reports of accidents after they have occurred — they lead the management response
- Proactive measures (near-miss reports, inspection findings, hazard observations, training completion rates) that indicate the state of the safety culture before an accident — investigated to prevent accidents from occurring (Correct answer)
- Only legally required statistics submitted to the HSE
- The names of workers who lead safety briefings
Correct answer: Proactive measures (near-miss reports, inspection findings, hazard observations, training completion rates) that indicate the state of the safety culture before an accident — investigated to prevent accidents from occurring
Leading indicators are proactive measures that indicate the current state of health and safety management: near-miss rates, observation and inspection findings, training completion, risk assessment review rates. Trends in leading indicators predict where accidents are likely to occur before they do.
Question 5: Under RIDDOR 2013, what is a 'reportable dangerous occurrence' for construction sites?
- Any minor incident that could theoretically have been worse
- Specific events listed in Schedule 2 of RIDDOR, including the unintended collapse of a scaffold over 5 metres, the collapse of a building or structure under construction, and the failure of a closed vessel or lift (Correct answer)
- Any incident where plant is damaged
- Any incident involving a subcontractor's employee
Correct answer: Specific events listed in Schedule 2 of RIDDOR, including the unintended collapse of a scaffold over 5 metres, the collapse of a building or structure under construction, and the failure of a closed vessel or lift
RIDDOR Schedule 2 lists specific dangerous occurrences for construction: unintended collapse or partial collapse of a scaffold over 5 metres; partial or complete unintended collapse of a building or structure under construction; failure of closed vessels and associated pipework causing injury risk; and unintentional explosion.
Question 6: What is the 'root cause' of an accident?
- The last action taken before the accident
- The fundamental, underlying management, organisational, or design failure that, if corrected, would prevent not just this accident but the entire class of similar incidents (Correct answer)
- Only factors directly visible at the accident scene
- The financial cost of the accident
Correct answer: The fundamental, underlying management, organisational, or design failure that, if corrected, would prevent not just this accident but the entire class of similar incidents
The root cause is the fundamental failure in the system — management, organisation, design — that allowed all contributing and immediate causes to exist. Addressing only immediate causes leads to recurrence; addressing root causes prevents a whole class of future incidents.
CITB Managers Accident Investigation and RIDDOR 4
What is a 'contributory factor' in accident investigation?