ABSTRACT
Before starting on accident investigation, we need to consider some problems with terminology and, in particular, the way the phrase ‘accident reporting’ is used to mean a number of different things.
The chronology of an accident and its aftermath have the following identifiable stages: 1. the person who sustains the injury, or someone else, reports that an accident has happened, usually to a
supervisor or manager 2. the person to whom the accident is reported makes a written record of the salient points, usually on an
accident report form or accident record form 3. the accident is investigated and, if it is sufficiently serious, it has to be reported to the relevant national
authority, for example the HSE in the UK 4. the person who investigates the accident writes a report on his or her findings, together with any
suggestions for remedial action* 5. the person who investigates the accident reports back to those involved on the outcome of the
investigation and the action to be taken.
