Your Safety Program

Do You Utilize an Accident Review Board Process where a Panel of Managers and Executives Interview the Affected Worker(s) and their Immediate Supervisor?

As crucial as the accident investigation process is to the success of an organization’s safety and risk management program, it usually isn’t executed very well. In many cases, too much emphasis is placed on forms and streamlining the process, while important aspects like the root cause analysis are not addressed. Some accident investigation programs are so automated, forms are simply completed and then forwarded to appropriate personnel.

An accident is defined as an undesired and unexpected occurrence, often involving damage, injury, or worse. Some accident investigation programs are so structured forms are completed and forwarded without getting the attention of front line workers, managers, and executives. We don’t want to discourage reporting of incidents, but we also don’t want accidents to go unnoticed. We already discussed the positive effects of managers and executives in the accident investigation process earlier in question three.

What can you do?

The accident review board is a process where key executives and managers, the injured employee(s) and his or her supervisor,and safety professionals all meet to review the incident and develop specific corrective action strategies. More importantly, this process shows the commitment of executives and managers in preventing future accidents and injuries.

The injured employee participates because they were directly involved in the incident and can provide important details during discussions and review. The supervisor is involved because they are responsible for the work area and employees they supervise. Many supervisors often look the other way when employees work unsafely, so this process helps remind them of their responsibility to oversee the safety of their employees.

The accident review board process helps establish management commitment, involvement, and accountability while simultaneously establishing employee and supervisor responsibility. When structured properly, the injured employee and supervisor leave the accident review board meeting, knowing the organization cares about their safety and will take appropriate actions to prevent the occurrence of similar incidents.

The process has been a game-changer for many organizations that have adopted the concept. In some cases, it has resulted in a 75% reduction in the number of preventable incidents. If it sounds too good to be true, read here about how we successfully implement this process in a case study: Driving Down Risk Through Your Most Valuable Resource.