Conducting an Accident Investigation
Course 102
Safety Certified Supervisor Series

INTRODUCTION

What is an accident?

An accident is the final event in an unplanned process that results in injury or illness to an employee and possibly property damage.

An "event," occurs when one "actor" (one person/thing) performs an "action" (does something). In this definition, a person or thing will do something that results in a change of state (an injury). An accident may be the result of many factors (simultaneous, interconnected, cross-linked events) that have interacted in some dynamic way.

Another definition for an accident is. An unplanned or unscheduled event, which may or may not result in injury to a person, or damage to equipment, and is usually caused by an unsafe act, unsafe condition, or a combination of the two. This definition recognizes the near-miss incident.