ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION BASICS Definitions Can you define these

ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION BASICS

Definitions: Can you define these? l Incident l Accident investigation

What is an Incident? l UNPLANNED l UNWANTED l Disrupts the work process l Has the POTENTIAL of resulting in injury, harm or damage to persons or property

What is an Accident? l UNPLANNED l UNWANTED l CONTROLLABLE event l Disrupts the work process l Causes injury to people or property damage.

What is Accident Investigation? l An in-depth evaluation of what happened. l An in-depth evaluation of why it happened. l Determination of what to do to prevent recurrence of this type accident.

“The Tip of the Iceberg” Accidents • Accidents or injuries are the tip of the iceberg. Incidents • Investigate incidents since they are potential “accidents in progress”

Accident Pyramid 1 Fatalities Severe Injuries 3 Minor injuries, accidents 8 Close calls, incidents Hazardous conditions and/or acts 15 30

Why Investigate? l Prevent future incidents. l Identify and eliminate hazards. l Expose deficiencies in process and/or equipment. l You lose money when work stops. l Maintain worker morale.

How to Investigate • Investigate all incidents and accidents immediately • Collect facts • Interview witnesses • Write a report

What to Expect After an Accident If you are injured on the job, the following steps will be taken: l Notify your supervisor immediately. l Write down in your own words exactly what happened.

What to Expect After an Accident l Get medical treatment first l Complete First Report of Injury l Do not assure medical providers invoices will be paid. Tell them to call your carrier.

What to Expect After an Accident l Save receipts l Non-emergency care must be approved l About two days after the claim is reported, you will receive a letter from the insurance carrier

What to Expect After an Accident l If you are off over 7 days, you will receive a letter from our insurance company explaining your indemnity l You are not paid for the first 7 days unless you are off over 6 weeks

What to Expect After an Accident l Tell your doctor and pharmacy they need to bill our insurance carrier directly l When you are cleared to return to work, you must notify us and our insurance carrier immediately

Always Remember It is unlawful and fraud to report injuries that are not legitimate in nature.