WHS Incident and Investigation Report - Assessment Answer

Introduction

WHS (Workplace health and safety) is defined as the health and safety practices that are being created and conducted for the mitigation or prevention of any illness, injury, or any sort of mishap within the working premises (Government, 2023). An incident investigation plan refers to the outlined process that depicts what has to be done for investigating the incident. The term incident comprises distinct instances but the firms need to amplify their safety operations. An incident response plan implies documentation of the predetermined set of procedures or instructions for detecting, responding, and limiting the consequences of the malicious activities that took place within the organisation. This assignment will provide insight into the investigation under which some accident has happened. The report will deliver information on the case, the team involved, information that can be gathered, plan for inspection, interview plan, conditions, or events, actions needed, and report on the result that will be attained.

Overview of the Case

The workshop manager (Michael Moore) was contacted for the accident that took place within their transport firm. The firm conducted its operations from a single site that includes an administration area, depot sheds, and workshops where employees work. Steve O’Brien (truck driver) entered at 11:05 for the night shift and looked in the workshop for the mechanic as per the organisational policy. It is a mandatory preventive measure taken by the firm as night mechanics deliver responsibilities alone. The driver found the mechanic lying on the pit floor with a bloodied head. The mechanic was dazed but conscious and was probably in a shock. The wheel of the truck was removed and it was on the gantry platform and wheel brace was also found where night mechanics deliver their work. The assistance from another truck driver was taken, an ambulance was called and the manager was also informed about the incident. The day driver informed that Jody looked weary and the mechanic had suffered two injuries previously.

Investigate the Incident

Jody has been working alone on the night shift and there is a high possibility that the accident might have occurred rather than the false intention of someone else. Plan for investigating the incident:

Record and gather information: It is the initial step in the investigation that involves recording the physical evidence from the scene. The reason for this is that it might be subject to rapid obliteration or change and therefore these must be recorded. The information must be photographed such as the location of the employee who was injured when the incident occurred, the equipment utilised, substances used, safety controls available, the position of the controls, damage, and environmental conditions. The scene must be completely considered by taking diagrams, photographs, and sketches so that the situation can be revealed or the contributing factors that were missed initially. The events that led to the incident will be determined considering the systems that are utilised, instructions are given, workplace premises, incident location, etc. will be identified. Jody was found lying face up on the floor of the pit and their head was propped on the handrail post that led from the pit. The safety requirements and procedures that were taken by the mechanics while working on it will be illustrated. All the associated information regarding the procedures, equipment, and workplace will be considered. For example, Jody is working alone on the night shift. The preventive measure that is taken is that the truck driver will visit the workshop but it is not certain how frequently the driver will visit the workshop and whether they will be available the entire night or not.

Conduct interviews: The interview will be conducted based on who has initially seen the victim, in what condition, whether there was someone else at that movement, and all other relevant questions for addressing the situation that comes. Here, the personal interview will be done by all the entities involved and the injured employee will also be included if it will be possible. Steve O’Brien was the one who has seen the victim first thus it is essential that the interview of the latter is taken to depict the entire scenario and condition of Jody Watkins. Now, another driver will be interviewed who assisted Steve to get up Jody and do a bandage and call the ambulance. The rationale of the investigation is the prevention of the recurrence of such sort of accidents by identifying the entire scenario. The manager will also be asked about the situation that was told and what preventive measures were available at the given instance. It has to be confirmed that the information obtained through all the interviewees is accurate and proper.

Report investigation outcomes: The report will be written after all the information regarding the incident has been attained. The evidence is gathered, and potential hazards, risks, and probable control measures have been executed for preventing the recurrence of the event. It will include details of the transport company, work health and safety measures, employees, and working conditions provided to the employees (SA, 2021). Additionally, the details of the injured person will also be included in the investigation report. The incident details will also be given along with the injury that has occurred.

Investigation team

The investigation team will be created to analyse the accident that has taken place so that all the information or evidence regarding the situation can be attained. The investigation team will include a manager or any other employee from the management, a safety officer, a supervisor, and an employee representative. The reason for including the employee representative is that any biases do not occur while decisions are being made regarding the situation and can go in favour of the organisation if it is not done. Additionally, it will also allow the management to have a perspective from the employee's side as such incidents can occur in the future with some other employees. The management is involved to recall the previous accidents that have occurred and their failure can be determined. The supervisor possesses knowledge about their employees and can anticipate the scenario under which the accident might have occurred.

Additionally, the investigation team must also include the truck driver and night mechanic who has found Jody. They can have a day driver who had a word with Jody during their shift time.

Information on the Contribution of Team Members

The workshop manager will provide information on the causes of accidents that have occurred previously. The data regarding the procedures and policies will be provided for the prevention of these incidents in the future. The night mechanic will be liable for providing data on what has taken place, the condition of Jody, and what they did to assist her after they found the victim. The truck driver will also assist in delivering the details regarding the conditions of the workshop, in what condition Jody was in, how they assisted, and what they did after Steve called them. The day driver will furnish information regarding the behaviour of the mechanic before the occurrence of the incident. All these details will enable them to form a basis for the accident that has taken place. The safety officer will be able to conduct the accident under investigation, and they will assist in identifying the entire scenario under which the incident has taken place (Systems, 2023). The employee representatives will carry out the investigation of the accident but for this, they require relevant approval from the management if they have to conduct this.

Type of Information for Investigation

The different sorts of information will be required by the investigation team for its analysis, which will be further reviewed for identifying the situation under which the incident has taken place. These are specified below:

Empirical information: It implies information acquired via human observation, senses, and observation to test the hypothesis that has been developed through the establishment of the behaviour or patterns identified regarding the scenario. The information will act as the scientific foundation that is liable for verifying the falsehood or truth of the claim via quantitative and qualitative factors. Here, the hypothesis will be created regarding the incident that has taken place and the information will be verified and considered whether it will be true or false. It will assist in identifying the root cause of the accident, and also assist the victim to have further procedures or policies that will be beneficial for them. The hypothesis for the accident is provided below:

H0: The accident took place due to the negligence and careless attitude of the employee.

H1: The accident did not occur due to the carelessness and negligence of the employee.

Another piece of information that will be considered by the investigation team will be the injury register of the company which will have information regarding what, when, and how associated with the incident. It will assist the investigation team to determine whether in a previous scenario such an accident occurred or not. If such an incident has occurred then what countermeasures were taken by the firm so that these do not occur in the future? If not then effective procedures and policies will be developed for mitigating this kind of activity (SWA, 2023). Further, the witnesses will furnish information regarding the events that lead to the incident along with the conditions under which the workshop is delivering its services.

Further, CCTV footage, incident report, risk assessments, maintenance records, and statements from the witnesses will also be used.

The Plan Covering What Will Be Inspected

The inspection will be initiated from the area where Jody was found and the working section. Further, all the areas of the workshop will be inspected through which the complete scene will be detected under which the accident has taken place. The area across the gantry platform will be inspected where the truck was kept for maintenance whether it was slippery or anything has fallen on it either oil or some parts that might have led to the accident. The wheel brace was also identified near Jody, and blood to determine whether it was an accident or someone had planned the incident. The stairs that lead to the pit will also be investigated to identify whether there are any marks or anything suspicious.

Further, the interview process will be conducted to acquire relevant details regarding the incident that took place where truck driver Steve and another driver who assisted in giving first aid Jody will be interviewed. The day mechanic will also be interviewed who had a word with Jody, and the workshop manager will also be considered to know more about the victim.

Interview Plan

Here, the interview will be conducted with 4 people, they are: Jody Watkins (victim), Steve O’Brien (truck driver), Michael Moore (Manager), and Tran Ngyuen (day driver). These are the key aspects of the case that will be considered within the interview process.

When the interview will be conducted then the investigation team will raise questions to the truck driver who has found Jody (mechanic) in a bleeding state. The investigation will be conducted with the workshop manager regarding health and safety procedures and policies that are being considered while giving them care. The night mechanic (Jody Watkins) will also be interviewed to know what exactly happened before and after, and how associated with the accident. The day driver will also be asked some questions about who had the word with the night mechanic regarding the conversation and whether she was feeling healthy at that time. The health and safety representative will also be asked about the company’s safety policies towards their employees. The investigator will be asking about the initial treatment that was given to the mechanic and what were actions taken by the transport firm to deal with this.

Timeline for the information

The timeline will include different aspects which are provided below:

• At 11:05 pm Steve O’Brien entered the workshop as per the organisational policies.
• At 11:10 pm the body of Jody was found lying face up on the pit floor.
• The bandage was done at 11:15 pm with the assistance of another truck driver
• The ambulance was called at 11:20 pm and at 11:22 pm the call was made to the manager to communicate the accident that had taken place.

The team took quick actions for furnishing assistance and care to the mechanic so that relevant care can be provided.

Root tree analysis

The term root tree analysis is defined as the process to discover the root causes of the problems for identifying the respective solutions. It will enable the investigation team and professionals to look beyond the problems and symptoms where the root cause exists.

Illustration 1: Root tree analysis

The diagram illustrates the causes behind the accident, there are two possibilities either the surface can be slippery or it can be due to the carelessness of the Jody as case illustrate that they were weary. There are two options either the victim might have slipped or it can be mishandling of the wheel braces due to which they might have fallen.

Key conditions, Circumstances, and Events that Led to the Incident

The key events and circumstances that have been identified through the investigation that led to the incident are specified here. It is determined that Jody Watkins was the only mechanic available at that time and there is a high possibility that the schedule was hectic. It is evident from the fact that the day driver had the interaction with Jody who later found the person weary. It also depicts a high probability that Jody has been delivering the services beyond working hours and was tired. Additionally, there were no safety measures for preventing the accident to get hold of something or preventing the fall of items from the gantry. It is determined that the firm has not incorporated relevant health and safety measures for the people delivering their services (Government, 2023).

Actions for Responding to Incidents and Recommendations

The actions that are needed for responding to the accident and preventing identical incidents from occurring in the future comprise the following aspects:

• The health and safety policies must be reviewed by the concerned team or management of the transportation firm.
• The risk assessment has to be conducted on the regular basis
• Training must be provided to the employees at the respective time considering the new working scenario or equipment that is being utilised by them.
• Supervise all the working activities and equipment that are being utilised.
• Monitor health and compliance with health and safety procedures and policies of the organisation.

The WHS policies must be kept in place when business executes their operations for ensuring the health and safety of the employees and ensuring that the life of any human resource is not kept at risk. It can be attained by providing them with a safe structure, machinery, and working environment. Further, safe ways must be identified for working through which work can be conducted efficiently and ease will be delivered to the human resources in their operations. Additionally, training must be imparted for ensuring the safety of the employees and making use of the resources and equipment that are available in an efficient manner (Government, 2023).

The firm must adhere to the WHS Regulations that are liable for setting the detailed requirements for supporting the duties illustrated in the model WHS Act. These are the practical guides for attaining the standards for health and safety needed. The model WHS Act provides the basis for ensuring health and well-being of the workplaces and workers in Australia (Australia, 2023). The framework must be provided for bringing in continuous improvements within their working procedures.

Report on Outcomes and Causes of the Incident and Recommendations

The report is based on the outcome from the analysis that is being done. The key findings from the incident are illustrated below:

• Jody was weary or tired when the day driver interacted with the latter.
• In the context of safety measures, the transportation firm does not have any precautions or assistance. For instance, no one would be informed about the incident if Steve would not have visited or what if the incident occurred after the visit of the driver. There are no other precautions mentioned and Jody was working all alone.
• It is identified that there was no medical assistance for the person after the accident and the drivers gave Jody the medical assistance and called the ambulance.
• Another evident fact is that the transportation firm might not have CCTV installed or someone monitoring them otherwise the incident might have come into the notice when it took place. There is a probability that the serious impact might have been created on the mechanic if the driver would not have arrived as the injury was on the head and it was bleeding.

Causes of the incident

Jody was found near to the stairs and was lying face up on the floor which indicates the possibility of slipping from the stairs that lead to the pit. There is a high probability that the mechanic might be repairing the truck where they have removed the wheel and was handling the wheel brace, it can be a disbalance also due to Jody banged head on the handrail and fell down.

Recommendations

It is recommended that transportation firms must consider revising their procedures and policies of the organisation depending on the WHS legislations. (Legislation, 2023). The training must be given to the employees on the regular basis so that they can handle the equipment adequately. They must also install the cameras within the workshops that must be monitored as mechanics deal with the heavy parts and there is a probability that incidents might occur. Further, it has to be ensured the minimum working hours are limited for the employees and they are not over pressurised to work extra hours. The National Labour Law and Fair Work Act 2009 must be adhered to by the organisation so that employees are not exhausted (Troadec, 2023).

Conclusion

WHS involves the management of the risks to the health and safety of people within the working premises. The organisations working in Australia must ensure that these legislations are adhered to by them to ensure that minimum health and safety requirements of the employees are considered. To avoid such incidents, it is important that the training is provided to the employees for handling all the resources effectively.

References

Australia, S. (2023). Model WHS laws. Model WHS laws | Safe Work Australia. https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/law-and-regulation/model-whs-laws

Government, A. (2023a). Policy - Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA). asqa.gov.au. https://www.asqa.gov.au/sites/default/files/Work_Health_and_Safety_Policy_and_Procedure.pdf

Government, A. (2023b, March 7). Work health and safety. Support for businesses in Australia. https://business.gov.au/risk-management/health-and-safety/work-health-and-safety#:~:text=Under%20WHS%20laws%20you%20must,extreme%20weather%2C%20but%20some%20do

Legislation, F. R. of. (2023). Work health and safety act 2011. Work Health and Safety Act 2011. https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2018C00293

SA, S. (2021, August 11). Workplace Incident Investigation. SafeWork SA. https://www.safework.sa.gov.au/workplaces/incident-investigation

SWA. (2023). Incident reporting. Incident reporting | Safe Work Australia. https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/safety-topic/managing-health-and-safety/incident-reporting

Systems, S. A. (2023). What to expect from a WHS investigation in Australia? https://www.safeagsystems.com/blog/whs-investigation-in-australia

Troadec, M. L. (2023, March 29). Complete Guide to Labor & Employment Law in Australia. Horizons. https://nhglobalpartners.com/australian-employment-law-labor-law/

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