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 the audit and define its scope, criteria and audit team.
2. Pre-audit document review (policies, procedures, permits, training and incident records).
3. Opening meeting with management and worker representatives.
4. Conduct the audit — inspect and observe the workplace, interview workers and supervisors, verify against the criteria.
5. Record findings with objective evidence.
6. Evaluate and rank the findings by risk.
7. Report to management (closing meeting and written report).
8. Agree a corrective-action plan with owners and due dates.
9. Follow up to confirm the actions were implemented and effective.

(ii) Purpose and Selection Criteria

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

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

(iii) Classic Investigation Steps

1. Respond and secure the scene (first aid, make safe, preserve evidence).
2. Gather the facts — position of people/equipment/materials, photographs, measurements, documents.
3. Interview the witnesses, separately and without blame.
4. Analyze the facts to establish the immediate and the root (underlying) causes.
5. Develop conclusions and corrective actions.
6. Report, implement the actions and follow up to verify they are effective.