After completing this topic, you should be able to
[Topic title: Cause Levels of Incidents.] You know how incidents – or accidents – happen… You think you're doing something right, but then something totally unexpected happens and throws you off.
Work-related incidents affect thousands of employees throughout Canada on a daily basis. The cause? People, equipment, supplies, materials, or surroundings failing to respond or behave as expected.
Each time a work-related incident occurs, an incident investigation is carried out – not to assign blame, but to determine the cause of the incident. The information gathered from such an investigation is used to prevent similar or more serious incidents from happening in the future.
There are various levels of classifying incidents. Classification is based on the severity of the incident and how quickly a corrective action or actions must be implemented. Refer to your own internal Incident Investigation Program for your workplace classification, but for the purposes of this course, the following definitions and classification of incidents will be used.
In a workplace, an incident refers to an unplanned event that results in personal injury, occupational illness, or property damage. If little or no treatment is required as a result of an incident, it's classified as a minor incident. If it results in a fatality or in permanent, partial, or temporary total lost-time disability, it's classified as a serious incident.
Then there are "near misses" – incidents that could result in injury or serious damage but are prevented just in time or have no immediate consequence. Near misses must also be investigated using the same techniques and reporting requirements as any other type of incident. The cause of a near miss situation could potentially be the source of a future incident.
Remember, all incidents – regardless of the extent of injury or damage – should be investigated.
Most incidents can be prevented by eliminating their causes. Causes have three levels, the first of which is root causes. These include personnel and environmental factors and poor management with regard to safety policies and decision-making.
Indirect causes – the second level – result from root causes. They include elements such as unsafe acts and unsafe conditions.
Finally, there are direct causes of incidents, such as an unplanned release of energy or hazardous material. These events may be traced to indirect causes and ultimately to root causes.
It's essential to know the differences between cause levels, as they may impact how future incidents can be resolved. Now let's take a short break for some practice questions. After you're finished, we'll pick up here.
What is the main goal of conducting an incident investigation?
Options:
Option 1: This option is incorrect. The purpose of incident investigation is to improve safety in the workplace going forward, rather than assigning blame or punishment for what happened in the past.
Option 2: This is the correct option. By determining the causes of accidents, it is hoped that steps can be taken to avoid similar ones in the future.
Option 3: This option is incorrect. Incident investigation may lead to better safety practices that could reduce insurance costs, but that is not its main goal.
Option 4: This option is incorrect. Incident investigation is not focused on completion of insurance claims, but rather on determining the causes so future similar incidents can be avoided.
Correct answer(s):
Match cause level of incidents to the relevant factors.
Options:
Targets:
Root causes of incidents are those that are most fundamental. Poor management, personnel factors, and environmental factors fall into this category.
Unsafe acts and conditions are indirect causes of incidents. These indirect causes result from of root causes.
Incidents may be directly caused by the unplanned release of energy or hazardous material. These events may be traced ultimately back to indirect causes and root causes.
Correct answer(s):
Target 1 = Option A
Target 2 = Option B
Target 3 = Option C
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