How is the committee involved in investigations? 

As a committee member, you play a valuable role in the investigation process. If there is a serious incident, accident or other dangerous occurrence at work, it is a duty of the committee to take part in the investigation.

Questions that could be used to spark discussion: 

Is there an investigation process that committee members should follow? Who conducts the investigation with the worker co-chair? 

The process of investigating an incident involves gathering evidence, analyzing it, then making recommendations in a written report. The co-chairs, or their designates, are responsible for investigating incidents, accidents and dangerous occurrences in the workplace. 

• Direct causes are substandard acts or conditions that directly resulted in the incident. These are symptoms of the root cause, not the root cause itself, such as an electrical cord running across the floor.  
• Indirect causes are substandard acts or conditions that led to the incident, for example, poor housekeeping or workers feeling rushed. 
• Root causes are the fundamental reasons that events occurred, which, if corrected, will prevent any recurrence. 

It is important to focus on how to prevent the incident from happening again. Prevention can be achieved by capturing the facts, and interviewing all staff members or specialists who were involved. Learn more about incident investigations here.

Are committee members involved in all investigations? When are committee members involved?

There are typically six types of investigations that a workplace must be prepared to conduct:

• incidents and dangerous occurrences 
• worker safety and health concerns 
• serious incidents 
• right-to-refuse incidents 
• violent incidents or threats 
• workplace harassment 

What should be included in the investigation report?

The intent of the report is to effect change. If, after an investigation, there are no recommendations or actions taken to improve safety and health at the workplace, it is likely incidents will continue to happen and workers will feel a lack of responsibility on the part of the employer and safety and health committee.

A concise report detailing specific recommendations is critical to the effectiveness of prevention in the workplace. When writing the report, committee members should keep in mind who will be reading the report. If your company has developed a form for reporting incidents, complete a form for each incident. The following information should be included in the report and must be clearly documented:

• Incident details: Name of the injured party, date, time, location and any damaged property or materials. Also include first aid response provided.
• Description of the incident: A detailed account of what happened.
• Evidence: Sketches, photographs, diagrams, physical evidence, witness statements and names of people with relevant information.
• Cause analysis: Direct and indirect causes of the incident, including a five-factor analysis.
• Corrective action: Immediate and long-term solutions with target completion dates.
• Report review: Name of the person who prepared the report, date, distribution list and signatures of the safety and health committee co-chairs.

Once the report is complete, it should be discussed at the safety and health committee meeting. Review the incident’s cause and discuss recommendations to determine the best approach. Each conclusion and recommendation must be supported with evidence. In situations where the investigator has used the “best guess” scenario to fill in the gaps, be prepared to offer reasons why those conclusions were drawn. Consider what the committee can do. The incident may point to weaknesses in committee activities (such as its inspection program). These activities should be reviewed in light of the evidence.

Top tips 

• Prepare for incidents by having a kit ready. 
• Understand and be trained on the role of committee co-chairs. 
• Ensure that committee co-chairs, or their designates, are involved in the investigation of serious incidents, accidents or dangerous occurrences. 
• Understand your own biases when investigating an incident. Avoid letting personal experiences or others’ opinions affect how you conduct your investigation.

Share your ideas!

If you would like to share your best practices with other safety and health committee leaders, we’d like to hear from you. Contact us for more information.