Accident Investigation - Kansas Chapter of PRIMA
Accident Investigation Featuring Root Cause Analysis BY Joe Garcia Whether you have an accident investigation process already in place, don’t have one, or are in the midst of creating one, here are a few ideas on why accident investigation is important 2 GOVERNMENT ENTITY EXPOSURES t 3 GOVERNMENT ENTITY EXPOSURES 4 PUBLIC ENTITY CHALLENGES • Control Expenses and Risk • Insurance • Legal • Out of Pocket • Delivery of Services • Minimize Disruptions • Continue Traditions 5 GOVERNMENT ENTITY LOSS TRENDS BY DEPARTMENT 4%: Fire Dept./Association Response - Auto accidents Inadequate(NFPA)Delays/water Failure to respond Employment Practices 12%: Park & Recreation Falls Swimming pools Defective Sports Equip. issued Sports injuries Sexual Abuse Employment Practices Workplace Harassment 19%: Administrative Offices Slip, Trip and Fall Employment Practices Workplace Harassment Public Officials Liability 24%: Public Works/Road & Bridge Auto maintained roads Sewer Backups Contact w/ heavy equipment Missing/damaged traffic signs Unprotected excavations Damage to utilities in ROW Employment Practices 41%: Law Enforcement/Jails Pursuit & Response accidents Use of force False arrest Domestic violence Search and seizure Employment Practices Inadequate medical services Inadequate supervision/surveillance 6 GOVERNMENT ENTITY LOSS TRENDS BY LINE OF COVERAGE 8%: Property Fire Losses Wind/Tornadoes Theft/Vandalism 16%: General Liability Slip/Trip and Falls Park and Recreation Public Works Street/Road Defects Security Issues (physical assaults) 1%: Inland marine (equipment) Fire (fueling) Operator Error Theft/Vandalism Inadequate Maintenance 31%: Employment Practices Discriminatory Hiring Practices Workplace Harassment Hostile Environment Wrongful Termination Failure to Promote Inconsistent Disciplinary Measure ADA Accommodations 26% Automobile Liability Law Enforcement Public Works Fire Department 18%: Law Enforcement/Jails Pursuit & Response accidents Use of force False arrest Domestic violence Search and seizure Employment Practices Inadequate medical services Inadequate supervision/surveillance 7 BENEFITS OF ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION A process to determine the underlying causes that can lead to an accident 8 BENEFITS OF ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION (Continued) • • • • Prevention of future, similar losses Contribution to the bottom line Reduction of human pain & suffering Continuous improvement of operational and safety procedures • Raises Safety awareness level • Reaffirms its commitment to the safety and well-being of its employees 9 PURPOSE OF ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION • Minimize the potential for recurrence of similar accidents/losses • Identification of the accident cause and surrounding circumstances • Determine what adverse effects resulted from the accident • Effective implementation of corrective action • Educate employees in the accident causation hazards and related control methods 10 WHAT IS ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION? • A process to determine the underlying causes that can lead to an accident • This information is used to identify and take preventive action • Accident Investigation is a basic component of loss prevention 11 WHY DO ACCIDENT INVESTIGATIONS FAIL? A process to determine the underlying causes that can lead to an accident 12 ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION TAKES TEAMWORK Seat Of Power Directors/Manager Department Heads Department Supervisors Non Management Employees 13 ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION TAKES TEAMWORK (Continued) • Takes everyone working and watching together • Identifying Hazards • Finding controls that fit • Discovering emerging trends 14 ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES • Top Management • Safety Director / Coordinator • Supervisor / Front Line Manager • Safety Committee • Accident Review Team • Employee 15 WHY ACCIDENT INVESTIGATIONS FAIL (Continued) • • • • • • • Lack of management support Lack of time to complete Lack of accountability Lack of motivation Not clear on procedures Lack of skills & knowledge Investigation stopped short and didn’t reveal the root causes of the accident 16 WHICH ACCIDENTS NEED TO BE INVESTIGATED? • Injury • Illness • Property damage • Process interruption • Near miss Answer: ALL OF THE ABOVE 17 PRE-PLANNING PROCESS • Clearly defined roles and responsibilities • Training of key staff members • Uniform procedures established • Communications established • Necessary equipment and forms on hand 18 DEFINITION OF KEYWORDS • Accident - The undesired event that results in personal injury or property damage • Incident – An incident is an unplanned, undesired event that adversely affects completion of a task • Near Misses – Near misses describe incidents where no property was damaged and no personal injury sustained, but where given a slight shift in time or position, damage and/or injury easily could have occurred 19 ACCIDENT CAUSATION 95% of Accidents have two or more “causes” People Equipment Entity Policy/Mgt Accident Crash Incident Injury Environment Materials/Other Cause Department Policy Effect 20 ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION TAKEAWAY (Continued) • Eliminate the hazard • Substitute a Less Hazardous material or Process • Use Engineering Control • Use Administrative Controls • Personal Protective Equipment • Training of Employees 21 ACCIDENT INVESTGATION TAKEAWAY • Documented facts only • Determine if the corrective actions apply to more than one employee, more than one job function, more than one shift, etc. • Prioritize corrective actions based on future accident potential • Submit both interim and permanent corrective actions, if necessary 22 ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION TAKEAWAY • Ensure that permanent corrective actions don’t get “lost in the shuffle.” • Evaluate the effectiveness of implemented corrective actions: • By interviewing employees • Accident experience • Review of policies 23 CLAIMS REPORTING & INVESTIGATION 24 ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION CONCLUSION • Accident investigations are the single most important tool for identifying the causes of accidents for both employee injuries and incidents involving the general public. • All incidents at your entity and on your properties, even those that do not involve injury, should be investigated. • A thorough investigation can help discern the root cause of the event and generate suggestions to correct it. 25 ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION CONCLUSION The data collected by accident investigations over a period of time, can identify loss trends that might not be immediately obvious from analyzing a single or handful of accidents. This can lead to: • Lower insurance premium • Lower cost from legal issues • Lower out of pocked expenses that insurance does not cover • Better moral from the public and employees • Finding improvement needs from department policies or a process 26 Questions Joe Garcia Risk Control Specialist 303-531-3888
© Copyright 2024