INVESTIGATIONS

JRL Solutions Ltd carries out investigations into accidents, incidents and ill health. JRL Solutions Ltd also helps organisations to meet its obligations to establish an effective investigation system. JRL Solutions Ltd uses established protocols in investigation including those contained within HSG 245.

Accidents are unplanned events, which result in loss of some kind either to persons or to equipment. Incidents are events, which do not result in loss, but are near misses, which can be a good predictor of accidents waiting to happen. Certain accidents, resulting in injury to persons, are of such a serious nature that they should be reported to the relevant enforcing authority, in UK often the Health and Safety Executive. Also some occupational diseases suffered by persons are reportable, as are some dangerous occurrences, which may not have resulted in injury but are sufficiently serious.

Statistics demonstrate that for every serious accident, where a person or persons are seriously injured or killed there are many minor injuries, more incidents where there was no loss and many hundreds of near misses.

Accidents and incidents should be thoroughly investigated for the following reasons:-

• to determine cause(s)
• to prevent recurrence
• to improve the control of health and safety
• statistical reasons
• legal requirements
• insurance purposes
• because of potential civil action including compensation

Investigation includes:-

• gathering of information
• analysis of information
• identifying the risk control measures required
• deciding on an action plan and implementing the plan

Investigation determines the causes enabling safety management systems to be improved. The immediate causes are usually either unsafe acts or unsafe conditions. These immediate causes happen because there are underlying reasons which bring them about such as inadequate training, weaknesses in supervision, equipment failures and deficiencies in systems of work. Again these underlying causes are symptomatic of root causes, which in the majority of cases can be traced to a fundamental failure by management.

Accidents, incidents and ill health can either result in direct costs (usually immediately quantifiable) or indirect costs (not usually immediately quantifiable) Often organisations underestimate indirect costs following accidents or instances of ill health and often do not fully appreciate them.

Thorough investigation can be valuable to an organisation in reducing costs, including insurance premiums and staff costs as well as enabling an organisation to increase market share and improve image amongst its clients and suppliers.