The client’s problem
As there was not a consistent definition or interpretation on incidents & their investigation, a small civil construction company was having difficulty identifying the root causes of incidents.
Solution
In consultation with their employees, the existing procedure was redeveloped to provide managers and supervisors with concise guidance on the:
- Definition of an incident.
- Importance of data / information quality.
- Responses required at the time of an incident.
- Timelines needed for immediate and systemic improvements.
- Use of risk assessment to determine the depth and extent of an investigation.
The procedure specified that all hazards, incidents without injury, injuries, illnesses, and property damage must be reported to the General Manager using the company’s mobile device ‘friendly’ reporting app.
The General Manager then reviews the reports and can initiate additional actions or request the supervisor to improve the quality of their investigation.
The software platform facilitates data management for reporting on hazards as well as incidents and the effectiveness of improvement actions.
Hierarchy of Controls:
Administrative
Benefit
Improving the existing procedure has assisted the company to have a clear understanding of incident response and investigation meaning that data or information being saved to the app is of a higher quality.
Consequently, summary reports of hazard-incident & WHS performance trends have greater meaning and value, providing a check on the effectiveness of controls.