Categories: OSHA

Although OSHA’s new reporting rule has been in effect for almost seven months now, it has caused some major changes in the way that OSHA operates.  Since the new reporting rule went into effect on January 1, 2015, OSHA has received more than 5,000 reports of work-related deaths, inpatient hospitalizations, amputations, and losses of an eye.  As OSHA anticipated, compliance with the rule has focused the agency’s attention on industries and hazards that it had not focused on before.  For example, because of the unexpectedly high number of reports of amputations from supermarkets, OSHA issued a safety Fact Sheet last month focused on preventing cuts and amputations from food slicers and meat grinders.

Around 40 percent of the newly filed reports have prompted OSHA investigations.  Another 46 percent have resulted in what the agency refers to as a “rapid response investigation.”  In a rapid response investigation, OSHA contacts the reporting employer to learn more about the incident.  The agency often expects the employer to conduct its own investigation into the root cause of the incident, determine how to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future, and report these findings back to OSHA in about a week.

In cases where OSHA is dissatisfied with an employer’s response, such as reports that merely blame the victim, the agency may proceed to conduct its own inspection of the incident.  An important related issue has not yet been resolved by the agency—that is, whether statements made in the investigation report that will result from the employer’s root cause analysis will be used as admissions by OSHA in the event of an enforcement action.  Accordingly, now more than ever, it is vital for employers to understand how to conduct an effective root cause analysis and produce an effective investigation report that will help them prevent similar incidents from taking place in the future.

Root cause investigations are often conducted by an employee’s supervisor, but a more effective approach involves managers and employees working together, bringing a variety of perspectives to the investigation.  As noted above, employers should be wary of merely blaming the victim and should instead investigate the incident thoroughly, interviewing the injured employee and all witnesses and assuring them that they will not be retaliated against for speaking truthfully about the incident.  The scene of the incident should also be temporarily cordoned off to enable the investigation team to document the location and any objects that were involved in the incident.  When searching for the root cause of an incident, the investigator should always be asking “why?” For example, if a safety procedure was not followed, why was it not followed?  If inadequate training was involved, why had the problem not been identified before?  By asking enough whys, the root cause of the incident will eventually be revealed, enabling the employer to respond to the situation and minimize or eliminate the possibility of a similar incident occurring in the future.

When recording the findings of the root cause analysis, employers must be mindful to exclude hearsay or conjecture—the content of the report should be completely factual and should include as much of the following information as possible:

  • Background information, such as where and when the incident took place, who and what were involved, the victim’s role and actions, and everything learned from witness interviews
  • A full description of the incident, such as the sequence of events, the type of incident, any objects or machinery that were involved, and any unusual circumstances, such as adverse weather or equipment failure
  • An analysis of why the incident took place, based on everything that the employer discovered during the investigation
  • Recommended corrective actions that will prevent recurrences

By following these guidelines and ensuring that the recommended corrective actions are implemented, employers can improve employee safety and morale while reducing the risk that their investigation reports will result in an OSHA citation.

Back to Workforce Bulletin Blog

Search This Blog

Blog Editors

Related Services

Topics

Archives

Jump to Page

Subscribe

Sign up to receive an email notification when new Workforce Bulletin posts are published:

Privacy Preference Center

When you visit any website, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. This information might be about you, your preferences or your device and is mostly used to make the site work as you expect it to. The information does not usually directly identify you, but it can give you a more personalized web experience. Because we respect your right to privacy, you can choose not to allow some types of cookies. Click on the different category headings to find out more and change our default settings. However, blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable information.

Performance Cookies

These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site, and will not be able to monitor its performance.