WHY INVESTIGATE?

 

The purpose of any investigation is to provide employers a systems approach to help them identify and control the underlying or root causes of all incidents in order to prevent their recurrence.   In 2013, The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that more than a dozen workers died every day in American workplaces and nearly 4 million Americans suffered a serious workplace injury.  An additional tens of thousands were sickened or died from diseases resulting from their chronic exposures to toxic substances or stressful workplace conditions.  These events caused much suffering and financial losses to workers and their families, resulting in significant costs to employers and society.  Many more “near misses” or “close calls” also happened. These are incidents that could have caused serious injury or illness but did not, often by sheer luck. Practically all of these harmful incidents and close calls are preventable. All incidents – regardless of size or impact – need to be investigated. The process helps employers look beyond what happened to discover why it happened. This allows employers to identify and correct shortcomings in their safety and health management programs.

 

INCIDENT INVESTIGATIONS FOR INDUSTRIAL & MANUFACTURING

FINDING CAUSES, CORRECTING HAZARDS

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Finding the cause of safety incidents is the first step in preventing similar incidents in the future. Special Investigations Group’s investigators have extensive experience at investigating workplace accidents, fatalities, and other incidents involving injuries or near misses.

When a serious workplace accident occurs, it’s imperative that companies conduct a prompt and thorough accident investigation. An incomplete, inaccurate or biased investigation can aggravate the problem and increase your potential liability. Special Investigations Group's investigators know how to properly conduct the workplace investigation and perform interviews, even in high-profile cases receiving media attention.

In addition to preventing future incidents, a thorough investigation will allow your company to fulfill any legal requirements, determine the cost of an accident, determine compliance with applicable OSHA safety regulations, and process workers’ compensation claims. Incidents that involve no injury or property damage should still be investigated to determine the hazards that should be corrected.