Accidents should be investigated in order to prevent a recurrence.

There is a legal duty under the Reporting of Injuries Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 which requires certain accidents to be reported.

Your insurers would expect a detailed accident investigation for the possible defence of any civil claims for compensation following a person being injured.

The benefits of investigating accidents are to:

• Prevent the same thing happening again;
• Make the workplace safer for everyone;
• Raise morale following an accident; and
• Avoid the costs of future accidents 

There needs to be a structured approach to obtaining all the relevant information and analysing the findings followed by the implementation of an action plan of corrective measures.

The trained investigator will:

• Inspect the accident scene;
• Interview witnesses;
• Compile a comprehensive report outlining opinions on causation, civil and criminal liability; and
• Make recommendations for corrective actions.