Accident Investigation and Analysis Flashcards
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Read the first 7 Accident Investigation and Analysis flashcards as text
The primary distinction between an 'incident' and an 'accident' in occupational safety terminology is:
Answer: An incident is any unplanned event with potential for harm, while an accident is an incident that resulted in actual harm or loss
An incident is any unplanned event, including near-misses, while an accident is an incident where actual injury, illness, or damage resulted.
Human factors analysis in accident investigation examines which of the following as a contributing cause?
Answer: Worker fatigue, cognitive load, ergonomic stressors, and organizational pressures
Human factors analysis explores how physical, psychological, and organizational factors influence worker behavior and error, identifying systemic drivers of unsafe acts.
Which metric best measures the frequency of lost-time injuries relative to hours worked in a facility?
Answer: Lost Time Incident Rate (LTIR)
The Lost Time Incident Rate (LTIR) measures the number of incidents resulting in lost workdays per 200,000 hours worked, enabling comparison across facilities of different sizes.
After completing an accident investigation, the most critical step to ensure long-term effectiveness of corrective actions is:
Answer: Establishing a tracking system with assigned responsibilities and deadlines for corrective action completion
Corrective actions are only effective if they are tracked, assigned to responsible parties, given deadlines, and verified as completed and effective.
A 'contributing factor' in accident analysis differs from a 'root cause' in that:
Answer: A contributing factor increased the likelihood or severity of the accident but alone would not have caused it; a root cause is the fundamental reason the accident occurred
Contributing factors add risk or severity but are not independently sufficient to produce the accident; root causes are the fundamental deficiencies that, if corrected, would prevent recurrence.
The hierarchy of controls, when applied to corrective actions from an accident investigation, prioritizes which type of control highest?
Answer: Engineering controls that eliminate or substitute the hazard
Engineering controls — eliminating the hazard, substituting a less hazardous material, or physically isolating the hazard — are most reliable and sit at the top of the hierarchy of controls.
When an accident investigation report is shared with the workforce, which content element is most valuable for preventing future incidents?
Answer: The identified root causes and the corrective actions being implemented
Sharing root causes and corrective actions informs the workforce of systemic hazards and demonstrates that management is taking action, reinforcing a safety culture.