The Accident Report Form
One of the reasons an accident investigation might fail to help eliminate similar accidents, is that the report form is poorly designed. Some poorly designed forms actually make it quite difficult to get beyond identification of only surface causes: root causes are often ignored.
Let's look at one format that is designed to emphasize root cause analysis. Look at this sample accident report (PDF). This is a report format similar to that used by OSHA accident investigators in conducting workplace accident investigations, but it goes further. This form includes the identification of safety management system weaknesses and recommended improvements. You may want to print this form while we discuss the various sections.
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8-2. What may be the result if accident report forms are poorly designed?
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