NEBOSH Incident Investigation 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What are the key steps in a systematic accident investigation process?
- Interview the injured person, write a report, file it away
- Secure the scene, gather evidence (physical, documentary, witness), analyse causes (immediate and root), identify corrective actions, produce a report, and follow up on implementation (Correct answer)
- Take photographs and send them to the HSE
- Ask the supervisor to write an incident report from memory
Correct answer: Secure the scene, gather evidence (physical, documentary, witness), analyse causes (immediate and root), identify corrective actions, produce a report, and follow up on implementation
A systematic investigation follows a structured process: first preserving the scene and evidence, then gathering all types of evidence (physical conditions, documents, witness accounts), analysing immediate and underlying causes, identifying both corrective and preventive actions, documenting findings in a report, and crucially following up to ensure actions are implemented.
Question 2: Under RIDDOR 2013, what is the time limit for reporting a death or specified injury to the enforcing authority?
- Within 24 hours
- Without delay — by the quickest practicable means (phone or online), followed by a written report within 10 days (Correct answer)
- Within 7 days
- Within one calendar month
Correct answer: Without delay — by the quickest practicable means (phone or online), followed by a written report within 10 days
Deaths and specified injuries must be reported without delay by the quickest practicable means, which is either by telephone to the HSE's Incident Contact Centre or via the online reporting system. This must be followed by a completed report form (F2508) within 10 days. The urgency reflects the seriousness of these events.
Question 3: What is the difference between corrective and preventive actions in incident investigation?
- They are the same thing expressed differently
- Corrective actions fix the specific problem that caused the incident, while preventive actions address the wider systemic issues to prevent similar incidents elsewhere in the organisation (Correct answer)
- Corrective actions are mandatory but preventive actions are optional
- Corrective actions are taken before an incident and preventive actions are taken after
Correct answer: Corrective actions fix the specific problem that caused the incident, while preventive actions address the wider systemic issues to prevent similar incidents elsewhere in the organisation
Corrective actions directly address the specific cause of the incident that occurred (fixing the broken guard rail, repairing the faulty equipment). Preventive actions go further, addressing broader systemic weaknesses to prevent similar types of incidents from occurring elsewhere (reviewing all guard rails, changing the maintenance programme across the organisation).
Question 4: In the bow-tie model of risk analysis, what do the two sides of the bow-tie represent?
- Workers and managers
- Prevention controls (left side, before the event) and mitigation/recovery controls (right side, after the event), with the hazardous event as the central knot (Correct answer)
- Input costs and output losses
- Internal and external audit findings
Correct answer: Prevention controls (left side, before the event) and mitigation/recovery controls (right side, after the event), with the hazardous event as the central knot
The bow-tie model places the hazardous event (loss of control) at the centre. The left side shows threats and the prevention barriers that should stop the event from occurring. The right side shows the potential consequences and the mitigation barriers that should limit the severity if the event does occur. It combines fault tree and event tree analysis.
Question 5: Which of the following incidents must be reported under RIDDOR 2013 as a 'dangerous occurrence'?
- A worker slipping on a wet floor but not falling
- The collapse, overturning or failure of load-bearing parts of a lift or hoist (Correct answer)
- A worker feeling dizzy but continuing to work
- A minor electrical spark from a faulty plug
Correct answer: The collapse, overturning or failure of load-bearing parts of a lift or hoist
The collapse, overturning or failure of load-bearing parts of lifts and hoists is listed as a dangerous occurrence in Schedule 2 of RIDDOR 2013. Dangerous occurrences are specific types of events with high potential for harm that must be reported even if no one was injured. Other examples include scaffold collapse, uncontrolled explosions, and electrical incidents causing fire.
Question 6: What is the importance of 'lessons learned' in the incident investigation process?
- They are only useful for academic research
- They capture the knowledge gained from the investigation and share it across the organisation to prevent similar incidents, improve procedures, update training, and strengthen the overall safety management system (Correct answer)
- They are only needed for fatal accidents
- They replace the need for corrective actions
Correct answer: They capture the knowledge gained from the investigation and share it across the organisation to prevent similar incidents, improve procedures, update training, and strengthen the overall safety management system
Lessons learned translate investigation findings into organisational knowledge. They ensure that the insights from one incident benefit the whole organisation, not just the department where it occurred. Effective dissemination through safety alerts, toolbox talks, procedure updates, and training revisions multiplies the preventive value of each investigation.
NEBOSH Incident Investigation 2
What are the key steps in a systematic accident investigation process?