Accident Investigation: Turning Incidents into Opportunities for Improvement

Author, Sam Clayton, Vice President, Construction Group, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

During my recent podcast episode, I discussed how near misses can represent missed opportunities for general engineering contractors to prevent future workplace injuries.

Continuing that theme, I would like to expand on the importance of having a formal accident investigation program in place and how it can help contractors and employees identify and implement corrective actions that reduce the likelihood of similar incidents occurring in the future.

An accident investigation is a systematic process used to examine a workplace injury or incident to determine how and why it occurred. These investigations are often conducted by foremen or supervisors and should focus on identifying and correcting root causes rather than assigning fault or placing blame.

The goal is simple: learn from the incident and prevent it from happening again.

Key Steps in the Investigation Process

A successful accident investigation typically includes four key steps:

1. Secure the scene to ensure the area is safe and preserve any evidence.

2. Gather information by interviewing witnesses, reviewing documentation, and collecting facts.

3. Analyze the root causes to determine the underlying factors that contributed to the incident.

4. Implement corrective actions to address deficiencies and reduce future risk.

Benefits of an Accident Investigation

A formal accident investigation program provides several important benefits:

1. Improves Employee Morale. When employees see that management is committed to understanding incidents and improving workplace safety, it helps build trust and demonstrates that employee well-being is a priority.

2. Identifies Training Opportunities. Investigations often reveal gaps in knowledge, procedures, or communication. These findings can help organizations deliver targeted training where it's needed most.

3. Prevents Recurrence. By identifying and addressing root causes, contractors can implement meaningful corrective actions that help prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.

Training Matters

Because workplace accidents and injuries are relatively infrequent, it is important to ensure your foremen and supervisors receive proper accident investigation training before an incident occurs.

Rancho Mesa has developed the RM365 Advantage Safety Star™ Program, which includes dedicated instruction on accident investigation techniques and best practices. I highly recommend enrolling your foremen and supervisors so they understand both the importance of a formal investigation program and how to effectively conduct investigations when incidents occur.

Leveraging Technology

Through Rancho Mesa's SafetyOne™ Platform, clients can create corrective action plans, assign responsibilities, track completion, and deliver the appropriate training to affected employees. This helps ensure that corrective actions are documented, completed, and continuously monitored.

While every contractor's goal is to achieve zero incidents, accidents can still happen. Organizations that have a formal accident investigation program in place and can demonstrate that they have identified root causes and implemented effective corrective actions are in a much stronger position to prevent future losses and minimize potential workers' compensation cost increases.

To learn more about the RM365 Advantage Safety Star Program or how the SafetyOne Platform can support your company's accident investigation efforts, contact me at sclayton@ranchomesa.com.

Creating a Safer Workplace Through Effective Violence Prevention Planning

Author, Jadyn Brandt, Client Communications Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Workplace violence is a serious safety threat affecting employees across all industries. In 2023, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) recorded 740 fatalities due to violent acts in the workplace. Preventing fatalities and injuries is a top concern when addressing workplace violence; however organizational, financial, and emotional consequences can also arise from violent incidents in the workplace. Employers should implement a clear Workplace Violence Prevention Plan to keep employees and their organization safe.

What is Workplace Violence?

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) defines workplace violence as, “any act or threat of physical violence, harassment, intimidation, or other threatening behavior that occurs at the work site.” Employees, clients, customers, and visitors can all be affected by and involved in incidents of workplace violence.

Employees in healthcare, retail or transportation are especially at risk because of the public nature of their work. BLS data shows healthcare and social assistance workers “accounted for 73% of all nonfatal injuries and illnesses due to violence in 2018.”

How Can Employers Protect Their Employees?

The best way to protect employees is through the implementation of clear and well-enforced violence prevention guidelines, often in the form of a Workplace Violence Prevention Plan. These plans set a zero-tolerance precedent toward workplace violence for all workers, contractors, clients, patients, and visitors. Cal/OSHA mandates employers “establish, implement, and maintain a Workplace Violence Prevention Plan;” however, regulations may vary by state so be sure to check with your specific state guidelines.

When building a Workplace Violence Prevention Plan, Cal/OSHA requires the plan include:

• Prohibiting employee retaliation

• Accepting and responding to reports of workplace violence

• Employee workplace violence training and communication.

• Emergency response

• Workplace violence hazard assessments

• Other requirements, such as maintaining a Violent Incident Log.

Although there are no current specific OSHA standards for workplace violence at the federal level, OSHA recommends a Workplace Violence Prevention Program “ensure that all workers know the policy; are trained on prevention methods, signs for potential violent behavior, and how to effectively react when an incident occurs; and understand that all claims of workplace violence will be investigated and remedied promptly.”

What Steps Should Employers Take Following a Workplace Violence Incident?

A Workplace Violence Prevention Program is an excellent proactive step in keeping your employees and organization safe. However, there may be times when employers will need to be reactive following a violent incident.

Employers should provide prompt medical evaluation and treatment for all injured and affected persons. Violent incidents should be reported to local law enforcement. Victims should be informed of their legal avenues for prosecution and violent incidents should be investigated by the organization. Employers should also communicate with staff honestly about the incident and discuss ways to avoid similar situations, including reviewing and updated workplace policy.

Violent incidents should be recorded in an employer’s OSHA 300 logs.

Resources

While every Workplace Violence Prevention Plan is unique to its organization, Rancho Mesa offers a variety of sample policies, and online trainings through the RM365 HRAdvantage™ Portal and SafetyOne™ platform.