Accident investigation 5W1H

Six questions you need to ask during your accident investigation;

1. Who
•    was injured?
•    saw the incident?
•    was working with him/her?
•    had instructed, trained, assigned the affected person/
•    else was involved?
•    Can help prevent the re-occurrence?

2. What
•    was the injury/illness?
•    was being done at time of injury or incident?
•    were they told to do so?
•    tools were being used?
•    machinery was involved?
•    operation was being performed?
•    instruction had been given?
•    precautions were given?
•    precautions were necessary?
•    PPE was used or should have been used?
•    problems or questions was encountered?
•    did the employee and others do after the incident?
•    did witnesses see?
•    will be done to prevent re-occurrences.
•    safety rules or procedures were violated?
•    safety rules or procedures were lacking?
•    safety rules or procedures were needed?
•    additional training should be included?

3. When
•    did the injury or incident occur?
•    did the employee begin the task?
•    was the employee assigned to the task?
•    were the hazard or risk pointed out to the employee?
•    did the supervisor last check on the employee's progress?
•    did the employee last notice that something is wrong?
•    was appropriate training provided?
•    was a risk assessment done?
Three more questions you need to answer for your accident investigation report to be valid

4. Why
•    was the employee injured?
•    did the employee behave that way?
•    did other persons behave that way?
•    was PPE not used?
•    were specific instructions not given to the employee?
•    was the employee in that position/place?
•    did the employee continue working under the circumstance?
•    was the employee allowed to continue working?
•    wasn't the supervisor there at the time?


5. Where
•    did the injury or incident occur?
•    was the employee at the time of the incident?
•    was the supervisor at the time of the incident?
•    were co-workers at the time of the incident?
•    were the witnesses when the incident occurred?

6. How
•    was the employee injured?
•    could the injury/illness have been avoided?
•    could co-workers avoid similar injury/illness?
•    could the supervisor have prevented the injury/illness?

Make sure you answer all of the above when investigating any major or minor accident at your workplace.