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Just for Employers

Incident Analysis

injured worker

Injuries, illnesses and near-misses do not "just happen." These incidents have definite causes, traceable to a specific sequence of events. But you and your employees may not fully understand those causes, so you may fail to take action to prevent an incident from happening again. Employers who investigate work-related injuries, illnesses and near-misses can understand their causes and keep them from happening again. You can solve this problem by having your supervisors conduct an incident analysis (PDF).

For support or for help mitigating risks after an accident, contact our safety services support team at safety@texasmutual.com or call 844-WORKSAFE (967-5723). 

What employers can do

Make it a standard to investigate all injuries, illnesses and near-misses in your workplace as soon as possible (after getting medical aid for injured employees who need it and restoring order to the scene). Begin your investigation while the facts are still clear to those involved and before physical conditions change.

An incident analysis has four primary steps:

Gather facts about what happened. Interview those involved and any witnesses. Keep the interviews private and listen carefully. Ask open-ended questions, one at a time. Continue investigating until you are satisfied that you understand the circumstances and causes of the incident — don't stop just because someone says the injured worker was "careless." Examine materials and equipment. Be sure to follow safety procedures and use personal protective equipment if necessary. Take photos or make sketches when possible.

The most important part of the investigation is analyzing the facts to determine why the incident happened. This task is difficult because there is almost never a single, simple reason. Concentrate on underlying causes, usually a combination of factors. Consider which of the following categories may be contributing causes:

  • Equipment — Examples are machinery, raw materials, inadequate safeguards.
  • Methods — Examples are rules, procedures, supervision, work methods.
  • Personnel — Examples are physical condition, training, fatigue.
  • Environment — Examples are noise, heat, cold, lighting, ventilation, road conditions.

If you identify causes from a number of the categories described above (equipment, methods, personnel, environment), plan ways to correct each cause. Examples might include physical changes, procedural changes, more training or a better safety program. Be sure that management, supervisors and employees follow through with the appropriate measures.

Just because you assigned corrective action tasks doesn't necessarily mean your staff completed them. Furthermore, it doesn't mean the corrective actions were effective. Follow up to make sure all corrective actions are in place and that they eliminated the root cause.

Collect data on the costs of the incident. You may be able to use this information to evaluate whether the cost of the incident justifies the purchase of new equipment or changes in production methods.

Steps of incident analysis

We're here to help

As you complete your incident analysis, Texas Mutual is here to help. If your company is a Texas Mutual policyholder, call 844-WORKSAFE (967-5723) to talk to a safety representative.

Accident prevention

See our safety best practices to prevent a future incident from occurring.

Return to work programs

See how to help an injured employee recover and return to work.

Need help getting started?

Ask your insurance agent about workers' compensation with Texas Mutual. If you need help finding an agent, we can help you connect with one.

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