Accident Investigation and Analysis Flashcards

A safety supervisor is investigating an incident where an employee slipped on a wet floor and sustained a minor injury. The immediate cause is the water on the floor. Which of the following represents the primary goal of the root cause analysis?

Answer: To determine why the water was on the floor and prevent recurrence.

The primary goal of a root cause analysis is to move beyond the immediate or apparent cause of an incident to find the underlying systemic reasons. While cleaning the spill and using a sign are important immediate actions, the investigation must determine the fundamental reason for the spill (e.g., leaking pipe, faulty procedure, lack of maintenance) to implement corrective actions that prevent it from happening again. The purpose is not to assign blame but to improve the system.

During an accident investigation, which of the following is the most effective method for controlling a hazard identified as a root cause?

Answer: Physically removing the hazard from the process entirely.

According to the hierarchy of controls, the most effective method is Elimination, which involves physically removing the hazard. Substitution, Engineering Controls, Administrative Controls, and PPE follow in decreasing order of effectiveness. While other options are valid controls, they are considered less effective than completely eliminating the hazard.

A forklift operator strikes a storage rack, causing minor property damage but no injuries. According to modern safety principles, how should the safety supervisor approach this event?

Answer: Investigate it as a 'near miss' to identify and correct root causes.

OSHA and modern safety principles strongly encourage the investigation of all incidents, including near misses or close calls where no injury occurred. These events provide a valuable opportunity to identify and correct underlying hazards and system deficiencies before they result in a more serious accident with injuries. Ignoring it or focusing only on blame or repair misses the chance to prevent a future, potentially more severe, incident.

Which accident causation model posits that accidents result from a sequence of events or factors, and removing any one of these factors can prevent the accident from occurring?

Answer: The Domino Theory

H.W. Heinrich's Domino Theory suggests that an accident is the result of a chain reaction of sequential events. The theory visualizes these events as dominos; if one falls, it triggers the next. By removing one of the dominos (i.e., addressing one of the causal factors), the sequence is interrupted, and the accident can be prevented.

When conducting witness interviews after an incident, which of the following is a best practice for a safety supervisor?

Answer: Use open-ended questions like 'Tell me what you saw?'

Using open-ended questions is a critical best practice in witness interviews. It encourages the witness to provide a detailed, narrative account in their own words without being influenced by the investigator's assumptions. Group interviews can lead to conformity, leading questions can bias the testimony, and recording can make witnesses uncomfortable and less forthcoming.

A safety supervisor is creating a corrective action plan following an investigation. Which element is MOST critical for ensuring the plan is effective?

Answer: Assigning responsibility and a deadline for each corrective action.

For a corrective action plan to be effective, it must be actionable. This requires clearly defining each action, assigning it to a specific person or department responsible for its completion, and setting a clear deadline. This ensures accountability and follow-through. Assigning blame is counterproductive, cost should not be the primary driver over effectiveness, and focusing only on immediate causes fails to prevent recurrence.