Accident investigation and recording

The accident investigation is a methodical examination of the accident site; the physical evidence of what happened; the people who have first hand knowledge of facts, related directly or indirectly to the event; and any records, papers etc., that may contribute to the outcomes of the investigation.

After this examination has been undertaken and photographs taken, sketches made, witnesses interviewed and exhibits collected, there will need to be research into: other similar accidents; existing work practices and procedures; and other relevant matters. This research will be necessary to establish the deeper causal factors.

At the conclusion of these steps it will be necessary for the investigator to commit their investigation details and conclusions to writing, in the form of report of format N-1, conclusions reached and recommendations for preventative strategies.

Some of the most common terms used in recording and analysis can be defined as follows.

Near miss: An undesired event that has the potential to become an incident or accident.

Incident: An undesired event that could or does degrade the efficiency of an operation.

Accident: An undesired event that results in physical harm to people or damage to property. Usually the result of contact with a source of energy above the threshold limit of the body or structure.

Accidents to be recorded in report are those that occurred with employee at the workplace or in busyness trip, or in the following circumstances:

- doing work at workplace at the territory of enterprise or in other place in office time, or overtime in vocation or days off ordered by employer;

- preparing tools, instruments and protective equipment prior and after work;

- having trip to work or from work by transport of home enterprise or other organization that has contract with home enterprise;

- using private transport in interest of enterprise ordered by employer;

- liquidation of accident or disaster consequences at the enterprise or transport;

- providing patronage;

- being in transport or parking if the accident happened on duty or was caused by working environment;

- having trip to provide service by transport route or by employer’s order.

An accident is not recorded in report if it occurred in one of the following cases:

- having trip to work or from work by walk or transport that doesn’t belong to enterprise;

- using in personal goals transport, equipment, machines, tools of enterprise without permission of employer, except cases caused by malfunction of used equipment, machines, tools etc;

- alcohol and drug poisoning, and also its adverse effect on health of employee (asphyxia, insult, cardiac arrest) if it’s not caused by using those substances in production or noncompliance with safety regulations for storing or transporting them;

- committing crime, recorded stealing and being under trial;

- natural death or suicide.

Accident not considered for auditing and recording in report N-1 is to be recorded in report NT (non-occupational traumatism).

Every witness of accident or injured person himself should inform directly site-manager or another official.

Site-manager’s duty of care is:

- to provide immediate medical aid to injured person and if needed his transportation to hospital. To inform manager and trade union about accident. To inform fire prevention service if accident was caused by fire, or sanitary and epidemiological department – in case of toxic poisoning;

- to restrict admittance to the place of accident, keep accident-site in exactly condition as it was before accident if it’s not hazardous for near workers, before investigation commission arrival. To apply preventive measures.

Employer, owner or director having been informed of accident organizes its investigation via commission which includes manager (expert) of occupational safety department who is the head of commission, site-manager or chief engineer of site where accident happened, trade union representative, representative of sanitary and epidemiological department.

At the enterprise that doesn’t have occupational safety division duty of head of investigation commission is given to person delegated by director to manage safety at double jobholding.

Commission investigating accident should do the following work within 3 days:

- examination of accident place, interviewing witnesses and victim, collecting exhibits;

- examination of occupational safety standard acts and working environment compliance;

- establishing casual factors and circumstances of an accident, and reasonable persons who’s responsible for noncompliance wit standard acts, working out preventive measured;

- making report of N-1 format in 5 copies and submission it to director;

- making card of occupational diseases in case of acute occupational disease.

Report N-1 is added by witnesses’ interview, photographs, sketches and other documents describing workplace, diagnosis founded on the assessed data of harm and laboratory tests of alcohol, toxins and drugs content in blood. Director should approve reports N-1 within 1 day after accident investigation is completed. Approved reports are sent to victim or person who represents his interests; site-manager; occupational safety inspector; trade union; a safety officer or person delegated to manage safety. Director should satisfy request of victim to see accident investigation data.

Copy of report N-1 is submitted to organization that supervises the enterprise, or to local executive body. Copy of report N-1 is submitted to sanitary and epidemiological department in case of acute occupational disease.

Report N-1 should retain in enterprise where accident occurred during 45 years.

After long time recovery or death of employee employer and treasurer of the enterprise where accident is recorded submit report of accident consequences to organizations and officials to which the report N-1 had been submitted.

Accidents that happened to students during training or practice in enterprise are recorded and audited in enterprise. Accident investigation involves a representative of educational institution.

Supervision and regulation of accident investigation, recording and report submission and implementation of recommendations preventing accident is duty of care of state supervision of occupational safety.

Superior body of state supervision of occupational safety hears cases when employer refuses submitting report N-1, or victim of accident doesn’t agree with report in order foreseen in legislation for labor dispute.

Special investigation is conducted for:

- fatal accident;

- group accident, which simultaneously happened to two and more employees irrespective to consequences.

If accident refers to one of the mentioned employer has to submit special report to:

- local department of supervision of occupational safety;

- public prosecutions department;

- organization superior to enteiv id="