Accident Investigation – Exeter, Devon and the Southwest

Accident Investigation

Accidents can be very costly to your organisation. It is important therefore important to ensure that you learn from accidents and take measures to prevent them recurring. Conducting Accident Investigation is known as ‘React and Rectify’ Strategy. In other words it is a reactive activity where you react to an incident that has occurred, and take action to prevent it recurring. This is the opposite of Risk Assessment which is known as ‘Plan and Predict’, in which you implement measures to prevent accidents and near misses occurring in the first place.

What is the difference between Accident Reporting and Accident Investigation?

• Accident Reporting involves making a record of what happened, e.g. Accident Book.
• Accident Investigation involves considering why it happened and seeks to identify ways to prevent it recurring.

Why investigate Accidents and Near Misses?

• If you do not investigate Accidents and Near Misses, its possible they may happen again.
• You can learn from the event and make improvements.
• Your insurers will require information in the event of a personal injury claim.
• Your Health and Safety Enforcement department may investigate and will want to see that you have taken the matter seriously. By conducting a thorough investigation, this will give confidence to the Enforcement Officer that you are dealing with this properly, and may avoid further intervention (which may incur a charge under ‘Fees for Intervention’ legislation).
• You may need to report details of the accident or near miss to RIDDOR.

What is RIDDOR?

RIDDOR stands for the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrence Regulations 2013. You can read about it here.

RIDDOR puts duties on employers, the self-employed and people in control of work premises (the Responsible Person) to report certain serious workplace accidents, occupational diseases and specified dangerous occurrences (near misses). Failure to report something under RIDDOR is a statutory offence.

Where necessary, we can assist with completing your RIDDOR report submission following investigation (see below).

Does Amarisk conduct Accident Investigations?

Yes. We provide an accident investigation service to both retained clients and non-clients.

Note that Accident Investigation is free, included with our Retained Health and Safety Advisor Service but we also offer the service to non-retained clients.

We encourage our clients to notify us at the earliest opportunity, at which point we provide further guidance either remotely or in-person depending on the circumstances. One important point we have learnt by experience is to act quickly – this is the time when you will find out the most information!

What does Accident Investigation involve?

This involves us conducting (or assisting you to conduct) a thorough and detailed investigation which may include gathering evidence at the scene, interviewing witnesses and analysing data.

We then prepare an investigation report which includes recommendations for improvement.