Question 1

Which of the following is NOT a broad category of common causes of workplace accidents?

Accepted Answer

The three broad categories of common causes of workplace accidents are unsafe acts, decision to work unsafely, and unsafe conditions. Misinterpretation of OSHA standards is not a category of common causes of workplace accidents.

Question 2

A secondary witness is one who was not present at the accident but has relevant information about it.

Accepted Answer

False

Question 3

Safety professionals need to know the common causes of accidents so that they can more quickly narrow down the range of possible causes when an accident occurs.

Accepted Answer

Knowing common causes of accidents allows safety professionals to make more informed decisions about safety protocols and to identify potential hazards that may have contributed to an accident. This can lead to more effective accident prevention measures in the future.

Question 4

Safety professionals who focus on finding fault rather than finding facts will not be effective accident investigators.

Accepted Answer

Accident investigation requires a fact-finding approach in order to determine the root cause of an incident and prevent it from happening again. Focusing on fault-finding can lead to a blame culture and hinder efforts to improve safety.

Question 5

A primary or eye-witness is one who actually saw the accident occur.

Accepted Answer

A primary or eye-witness is someone who had direct firsthand knowledge of the accident because they were present at the scene and saw it happen.

Question 6

Accident-analysis reports are for determining why an accident occurred and should be completed by a professional.

Accepted Answer

Accident-analysis reports are vital documents that assist in preventing the occurrence of accidents in the future. As such, they must be prepared with utmost accuracy and professionalism.

Question 7

You should never conduct interviews at the scene of the accident because you might damage evidence.

Accepted Answer

While it's important to be cautious not to disturb evidence, conducting interviews at the scene can be crucial for gathering immediate, accurate observations and accounts from witnesses before memories fade or details are forgotten.

Question 8

A tertiary witness to a workplace accident is one who:

Accepted Answer

A tertiary witness is someone who was not present at the accident but has knowledge that is relevant to it. Therefore, option B is the correct choice. Option A describes a secondary witness, option C describes a survivor, and option D describes someone who may not be a reliable witness.

Question 9

It is better to wait 24 hours before conducting an accident investigation so that witnesses have time to think through what they want to say.

Accepted Answer

It is generally recommended to conduct accident investigations as soon as possible after the incident occurs, while memories are still fresh and evidence is readily available. Waiting 24 hours may give witnesses time to forget important details or for evidence to be lost or altered.

Question 10

An event does not have to result in an injury to be classified as an accident.

Accepted Answer

An accident can be defined as an unexpected or unplanned event that may or may not result in injury or damage, so it does not necessarily have to involve harm to be classified as an accident.

Question 11

A mistake accident investigators should avoid is:

Accepted Answer

All of the given options are mistakes that should be avoided by accident investigators. Failing to investigate near misses may lead to the same mistakes happening again, and failing to investigate in a timely manner may result in crucial evidence being lost. Additionally, taking ineffective corrective action may not prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.

Question 12

The purpose of the accident report is to:

Accepted Answer

The purpose of the accident report is to record the findings of the accident investigation including causes and recommended corrective action. While protecting the company from litigation and creating documentation to terminate unsafe employees may be important considerations, the primary purpose of the accident report is to understand the causes of the accident and prevent similar incidents in the future.

Question 13

Facts to be uncovered in an accident investigation can be summarized as who, what, when, where, why, and how.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true. The "who, what, when, where, why, and how" are typically the key elements that are investigated during an accident investigation.

Question 14

Personal beliefs and feelings is one category of common causes of accidents.

Accepted Answer

Personal beliefs and feelings can affect an individual's behavior and decision-making, potentially leading to accidents. This includes overconfidence, complacency, frustration, and distraction caused by personal issues or emotions.

Question 15

An incident is an event that did not cause damage or injury but had the potential to.

Accepted Answer

An incident refers to an event that has the potential to cause damage or injury, but did not actually result in any harm.

Question 16

When photographing an accident scene, a familiar object such as a ruler, coin, or finger is placed in the photo for what reason?

Accepted Answer

Placing a familiar object such as a ruler, coin, or finger in the photo allows the viewer to gain perspective on the size and distance of objects in the scene. This can help with analyzing the evidence and determining the cause of the accident. It can also provide a reference point for further investigation and authentication of the evidence.

Question 17

The purpose of investigating accidents is to assess blame.

Accepted Answer

The purpose of investigating accidents is not to assess blame, but rather to identify the root causes of the accident and to take measures to prevent it from happening again in the future. Assigning blame may be a part of the investigation process, but it should not be the primary goal.

Question 18

One key to getting the facts in an interview after an accident is to:

Accepted Answer

Asking open-ended questions allows the interviewee to provide detailed information and helps to avoid leading the witness. Recording the interview can ensure that all information is documented accurately. Bringing all witnesses together at the same time can lead to biased information and may not be practical in all situations.

Question 19

The first step in conducting an accident investigation is to identify eye witnesses.

Accepted Answer

The first step in conducting an accident investigation is to ensure the accident scene is safe to prevent further accidents or injuries.

Question 20

Which of the following terms is sometimes used in place of the term "incident"?

Accepted Answer

"Near miss" is sometimes used in place of "incident" to describe a situation where an accident almost occurred, but was narrowly avoided. The other options are not commonly used to replace "incident".

Quiz 8: Accident Investigation