2. Investigating accidents and near misses
All accidents and near misses should be investigated as soon as possible, but only when safe to do so.
Investigating allows you to
- find out what went wrong
- find out why it went wrong
- reduce or prevent the risk of it happening again
- provide information for any legal investigations or insurance claims that are made.
Who to involve
For an investigation to be worthwhile it is important to involve the relevant employees. This allows you to gather all the facts.
The person leading the investigation should have
- the required investigative skills
- a good understanding of health and safety best practice and legal requirements.
Tools for investigating
To help you investigate, we have created an online accident and near miss investigation record.
Use our accident and near miss investigation record
You can also download a workbook free from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) that explains how to investigate accidents and incidents.
Visit the HSE site for an investigating accidents and incidents workbook