Step 2: Document the Scene
Be Prepared
Once the accident scene has been roped off, it's important to immediately begin gathering evidence from as many sources as possible during an investigation.
Workers Killed While
Servicing Tires
One of the biggest challenges you'll face as an investigator is to determine what information is relevant. You want to gather data that will help you determine what happened, how it happened, and why it happened. Identifying items which answer these questions is the purpose of documenting the accident scene.
You won't be able to document the scene effectively unless you come prepared, so make sure you have put together an accident investigation kit for use during the investigation.
Essential Items:
- Camera, film, and batteries
- Tape measure—preferably 100 foot
- Clipboard & writing paper
- Graph paper
- Straight-edge ruler
- Pens & pencils
- Accident investigation forms
- Flashlight with fresh batteries
Additional Helpful Items:
- Accident investigators checklist
- Sturdy gloves
- High visibility plastic tape to mark off area
- First aid kit
- Audio or video recorder with extra memory or tapes
- Identification tags
- Tape, bags, and specimen containers to secure items
- Compass for sketching the scene & identifying north
- Paint stick or chalk (yellow/black) to mark the scene
- Protractor to sketch the scene
- Tarp (to keep the scene and/or investigators dry)
- Investigators template (available online in varying styles)
- Personal protective equipment appropriate to your business
As you'll learn, there are many ways to document the scene, so it may become quite difficult for one person to effectively complete all actions.
The most effective strategy is to document as much as possible, even if you don't think the information is relevant. It's easy to discard clues or leads later if they prove to not be useful to the investigation. It's not at all easy to dig up material evidence late into the investigation. All items found at the scene should be considered important and potentially relevant material evidence. Consequently, a team approach is probably the most efficient strategy to use when investigating serious accidents.
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
3-1. Why is it important to document as much as possible during the initial accident investigation?
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