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11-CS-2 Engineering Communications · December 2015

Question 5 of 7: Safety Audits and Accident Investigation

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Notes on this paper

National Exams — December 2015 — 11-CS-2 Engineering in Society: Health and Safety. Closed book; approved calculator permitted. Any five of the seven questions constitute a complete paper; all questions are of equal value. Answers are written in point form but fully, as instructed. Complete answers to all seven questions follow.

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, standards, checklists, team).
  2. Pre-audit document review.
  3. Opening meeting.
  4. Conduct the audit (inspect/observe, interview, verify against procedures/law).
  5. Record findings with evidence.
  6. Evaluate/rank by risk.
  7. Report with recommendations.
  8. Corrective-action plan (responsibilities, deadlines).
  9. Follow-up to verify effectiveness.

(ii) Purpose and Selection Criteria

Purpose — find root causes (not blame) to prevent recurrence; identify unrecognized hazards; improve procedures/design; meet legal requirements.

Criteria: actual severity (fatal/serious/major loss—mandatory), potential severity (high-potential near-misses), frequency/recurrence, and legal reporting obligations. Investigation depth scales with severity/potential.

(iii) Classic Investigation Steps

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