8.1 Policy

Incident Investigations evaluate why an incident occurred and identify corrective actions to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.

The BC Conservation Foundation will conduct investigations after the following incidents.

• A serious injury or death
• An injury requiring medical treatment
• A major release of a hazardous substance
• A major structural failure or collapse
• A diving accident
• A dangerous incident involving explosive materials
• A blasting incident
• An incident that had the potential to cause serious injuries (a near-miss)

Incidents must be reported to WorkSafeBC within the required time parameters. Investigations will be initiated within 24 hours of notification.

8.2 Responsibilities

• Ensure incident investigations are conducted promptly
• Ensure a knowledgeable person performs incident investigations
• Notify WorkSafeBC of incidents required by legislation

• Notify management of workplace incidents
• Participate in incident investigations

• Notify supervisor of workplace incidents
• Participate in incident investigations

8.3 Program Overview

The incident investigation process must be completed within a prescribed amount of time. Table 10 outlines the four phases of an investigation.

Table 10: The Four Phases of Incident Investigations

Phase	Purpose	Timeframe
Preliminary investigation	Identify immediate causes of the incident.	Completed within 48 hours of incidents. WorkSafeBC can request submission of the preliminary investigation.
Interim corrective actions	Take interim corrective actions to prevent further loss.
Full investigation	Identify the root causes of the incident and create a sequence of events.	Completed within 30 days of the incident. Full investigation report submitted to WorkSafeBC.
Full corrective actions	Implement corrective actions to prevent the reoccurrence of similar incidents.

 

When: After an incident that requires investigation as specified in Section 8.1 or as required by applicable legislation.

Who: Safety Administrator with support from Joint Occupational Safety Committee (JOHSC) representatives.

Tool: Incident Investigation Template.

Reviewed: The JOHSC and the affected workplace parties will review the incident investigation report. The investigation report will not share personal information.

Documentation: Stored electronically on the BC Conservation Foundation server. An incident summary with redacted information will be posted in JOHSC minutes.

When: Statements will be collected from related workplace parties as determined by the Safety Administrator.

Who: Incident witness, the injured worker, or related workplace parties.

Tool: Incident Investigation Statement.

Reviewed: The statements will be reviewed by the Safety Administrator and the assisting JOHSC representative.

Documentation: A record will be kept electronically on the BC Conservation Foundation server.

When: During the investigation process.

Who: Developed by the investigation team and implemented by the responsible party.

Tool: Incident Investigation Template 

Reviewed: The Safety Administrator and JOHSC representative will perform a follow-up review of the corrective actions.

Documentation: Stored electronically on the BC Conservation Foundation server.

8.4 Incident Reporting Procedure

Step 1 Worker reports immediately to first aid.

Step 2 First aid attendant determines if medical treatment is required.

Step 3 Worker is transported to medical aid if required.

Step 4 Supervisor notifies the Safety Administrator of the incident.

Step 5 Safety Administrator conducts an incident investigation.

Step 6 Safety Administrator submits a report to WorkSafeBC.

8.5 Incident Investigation Procedure

Step 1 Immediately respond to the incident, tend to the injured, secure the scene, and preserve the area for investigation.

Step 2 Gather information by observing the scene, interviewing the related parties, and collecting witness statements. Create a description of the incident.

Step 3 Establish a sequence of events.

Step 4 Analyze the events to determine the immediate and root causes. Use the why-tree method to help determine causes.

Step 5 Determine and implement corrective actions.

Step 6 Complete the incident report.

Step 7 Follow up on the corrective actions.