Incident Investigation, definition: An event that could or does result in unintended harm or damage.

This definition is functional rather than academic. It includes both actual losses, often called accidents, and near-misses, events that under slightly different circumstances could cause a loss.

A proper understanding of the causes of incidents is critical to the development of appropriate controls to prevent their recurrence. For instance, those who believe that most incidents are caused by "carelessness" are likely to resort to punishment or incentive programs to get people to be "more careful." A likely result is that problems that cause incidents are covered up rather than solved. Those who believe that incidents are "freak" occurrences are likely to attempt to protect themselves by buying more insurance, only to discover that it rarely, if ever, pays fully for the losses involved.

If the line manager puts little effort into the investigation, there will be little or no result. A superficial report of the incident's occurrence will not improve safety in the workplace. On the other hand, if managers strive to dig deeply for facts, analyze carefully for causes, and pursue remedial actions diligently; their efforts will have a great effect. The managers will demonstrate to employees that both they and the organization are really interested in safety and will go to great effort to improve it. The employees will respond with equal or greater effort on their part.

Investigations can have a very negative effect if they are blame-fixing or fault-finding exercises. They can have a very positive effect if they are prompt, objective, considerate, and methodical.

The 4 'P's of Evidence:

Position Evidence
The positions and physical relationship of people, equipment, materials, and the effect of the environment at the incident site.

People Evidence
The most difficult type of evidence the investigator must gather is that located within the human mind.

Parts Evidence
Significant clues are often hidden in the edge of a fractured piece of metal, the residue of a charred structure, metal fatigue or corrosion, or the fluids that lubricated, fueled, or operated the equipment. Parts can be solids, liquids or gases.

Paper Evidence
Records or documentation constitute the fourth element.  "Paper" evidence isn’t just confined to paper anymore. Computer records or any other documentation are contained in this category of evidence.

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