Accident investigation in industries Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Accident investigation in industries - Essay Example Occupational safety and health administration (OSHA) department receives a huge budget allocation every year from the government. In a given year, OSHA budget ranges between five hundred to six hundred million dollars. An accident is an unforeseen occurrence that that compromises the progress of present activity causing injury to persons or destruction of property. An accident can occur without injury but the fact that it had the potential to harm means that damage or injury not caused was a mere chance. It is possible to avoid accidents if proper workplace procedures are followed. All accidents have a cause to it. In many cases, accidents happen because of human error who perpetrates an unsafe behaviour or condition. In an organisation, some departments are prone to accidents than others due to different machines or chemicals in use by such departments. Despite strict measures and procedures to curb accidents, such organisations still report a considerable number of accidents. On investigating accidents, supervisors try to find blame other than the cause of the accident. This has not helped in curbing of accidents. The first importance of investigating an accident is to find the root cause and avoid a future occurrence of a similar incident. Persons tasked to investigate the accident must understand that the exercise is not to find fault or put a finger on someone. Additionally, meaningful involvement of employees is essential because it will make them provide valuable information to the investigation. Secondly, some accidents lead to injuries making the company to spend money in the treatment of injured workers. An investigation will reveal the cost of the accident through medical bills and other damaged properties. Thirdly, by investigating an accident, a company fulfils legal requirements and safety regulations. The company will understand the extent of its compliance with the laid regulations and procedures. Fourthly, it is only