Episode 204 - Occupational Safety - Incident Investigation - Information to gather

Dr. Ayers explains the essential information investigators must collect at the very beginning of an incident investigation. The episode emphasizes that strong investigations depend on accurate, timely, and complete information, and that missing early details leads to weak conclusions and ineffective corrective actions.

  🧠 Key Themes 1. Start With the Foundational Facts

Investigators must immediately document:

• Who was involved

• What task was being performed

• When the incident occurred

• Where it happened

These anchor points prevent assumptions and keep the investigation grounded. Sources:

  2. Capture Conditions at the Time of the Incident

Dr. Ayers stresses documenting environmental and operational conditions such as:

• Lighting

• Noise

• Weather (if applicable)

• Housekeeping

• Equipment status

• Production pressure

Conditions often explain why the event unfolded the way it did. Sources:

  3. Gather Physical Evidence Immediately

Critical evidence includes:

• Tools and equipment involved

• PPE used or not used

• Materials

• Machine settings

• Photos and videos of the scene

Evidence degrades quickly — early collection is essential. Sources:

  4. Interview Witnesses and Involved Employees

The episode reinforces:

• Interview as soon as possible

• Use open‑ended questions

• Avoid blame‑oriented language

• Capture what they saw, heard, and experienced

Human memory fades fast; early interviews preserve accuracy. Sources:

  5. Review Relevant Documentation

Investigators should examine:

• Training records

• Procedures

• Maintenance logs

• Work orders

• SDS sheets

• Previous incident reports

Documentation often reveals system gaps or patterns. Sources:

  6. Understand “Work as Imagined” vs. “Work as Performed”

One of the most important distinctions:

• Work as written (procedures)

• Work as actually done

Most incidents occur because the real workflow differs from the documented one. Sources:

  🚀 Leadership Takeaways

• Strong investigations depend on strong information.

• Document conditions and evidence immediately.

• Interview early and focus on learning, not blame.

• Compare written procedures to real‑world work.

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