After completing your WHS incident report, it is critical to follow all policies and procedures as set out by your company. This includes following any procedures outlined by your whs incident investigation reporting procedures. You should prepare a log of all relevant information regarding the incident such as any witness interviews, photographs of relevant damage or evidence, and any action taken as a result of your findings. You will then need to follow the procedures set out in your company handbook. In the log, you should record the date and time of the event, any observations made, any video or audio recordings that were made, any observations made by police or other officials, any witness accounts and any comments or questions asked by any witnesses.
How to Implementing an Effective WHS Incident Investigation Strategy?
In the overall purpose of the WHS incident investigation plan, you want to ensure that the process proceeds in a systematic, organized manner. You do not want to skip steps, overlook evidence or fail to collect key data or information that is critical to the overall purpose of your investigation. As stated in your company handbook, the main purpose of the investigations is to establish whether or not a specific business aspect has been jeopardized or is actually operating within the confines set out by your company’s policy and procedure manual. Your investigation is not a court trial and you do not want to have to defend your actions in front of a judge and jury if your investigation has uncovered facts that are in direct conflict with your company’s policies. Your investigation should be entirely above board, conducted in a methodical and orderly fashion.
One of the most important aspects of your WHS incident analysis strategy will be to develop a long term communication strategy between management and employees affected by the incident. Your communication strategy should include the establishment of a regular WHS incident reporting process, which will allow both parties to work together on an ongoing basis. The reporting process should include a concise overview of what happened, the WHS team’s findings, any corrective actions taken and any follow up recommendations. Communication helps to keep employees accountable for their actions and also prevents unprofessional behavior. In the case of corrective actions, it helps ensure that the right people are informed about any actions they need to take to address similar behavior in the future.