Conducting an Accident Investigation
Course 102
Safety Certified Supervisor Series

INTRODUCTION

Are accidents always unplanned?

We like to think that accidents are unexpected or unplanned events, but sometimes, that's not necessarily so. Some accidents result from hazardous conditions and unsafe behaviors that have been ignored or tolerated for weeks, months, or even years. In such cases, it's not a question of "if" the accident is going to happen: It's only a matter of "when." But unfortunately, the decision is made to take the risk.

A competent person can examine workplace conditions, behaviors and underlying systems to predict closely what kind of accidents will occur in the workplace. Technically, we can't say an accident is always unplanned. Like any system, a safety management system is designed perfectly to produce what it produces. Consequently, written safety plans may be (unintentionally) designed such that they create circumstances that cause accidents.

In companies that decide to take the risk, it's likely their attitude about accidents is that, "accidents just happen; there's nothing we can do about them." Of course, that's an unacceptable notion in any effective safety culture. Employers with a healthful attitude about accidents consider them to be "inexcusable," and demand that hazards be corrected before they cause an accident.