Question 5 of 7: Safety Audits and Accident Investigation

Question 5: Safety Audits and Accident Investigation (20 marks: 7/7/6)

Question text not reproduced: the examination questions are © Engineers and Geoscientists BC. Open the official past paper (linked at the top of this page) to read the question, then follow the worked solution below.

(i) Steps in a Safety Audit

1. Plan and define scope — objectives, areas/systems, standards, checklists, audit team.
2. Pre-audit document review — policies, procedures, records, prior audits, incident data.
3. Opening meeting — inform management/workers of scope and method.
4. Conduct the audit — inspect/observe workplace, equipment, behaviour; interview; verify practice against procedures and legal requirements.
5. Record findings — deficiencies and good practices with evidence.
6. Evaluate/rank findings by risk.
7. Report with findings and recommendations.
8. Corrective-action plan — responsibilities and deadlines.
9. Follow-up — verify corrective actions implemented and effective.

(ii) Purpose of Accident Investigation and Selection Criteria

Purpose — determine the root causes (not to assign blame) so that recurrence is prevented; also identify unrecognized hazards, improve procedures/design, meet legal requirements, and inform training.

Criteria for which accidents to investigate:

• Actual severity — fatalities, serious/lost-time injuries, major property/environmental loss (mandatory).
• Potential severity — high-potential near-misses investigated as seriously as injuries.
• Frequency/recurrence — repeated minor incidents of the same type.
• Legal/regulatory reporting obligations. Ideally all incidents/near-misses are reported, with investigation depth scaled to severity/potential.

(iii) Classic Steps in Accident Investigation

1. Respond/secure the scene — aid the injured, make safe, preserve evidence.
2. Gather facts — physical evidence, photos, records.
3. Interview witnesses promptly and separately (fact-finding).
4. Analyze — reconstruct the sequence; find immediate and root causes.
5. Develop conclusions and corrective actions.
6. Report, implement and follow up to verify effectiveness.