RoSPA Press Office : Press Release

July 7, 2004
RoSPA URGES BUSINESSES TO “INVEST” IN ACCIDENTS

RoSPA today welcomed new guidance published by the Health and Safety Executive on accident investigation and called on employers to realise the benefits of learning from their safety failures.

Roger Bibbings, RoSPA Occupational Safety Adviser, urged businesses and organisations to “invest” more effort and expertise to unlock key lessons from accidents and incidents.

“When you consider how much accidents cost in time, money and suffering, you might as well try to secure a return,” he said. “Accidents and incidents often give rise to fear of prosecution, claims or disciplinary action. Investigated professionally, however, they can yield huge value, particularly by pinpointing areas for change and development, thus cutting future casualties, costs and appearances in court.”

The guidance reminds employers about their duties to investigate and how to learn from accidents, incidents and cases of work-related ill health. It follows five years work by RoSPA and HSE to stimulate a new national debate on what needs to be done to enable organisations to learn from prevention failure.

Roger Bibbings said: “Although a lot of businesses have got to grips with risk assessment, many are still failing to gain maximum benefit from their approach to the investigation of accidents and incidents. Consequently, they are still failing to learn vital lessons, which could help them improve their overall management of health and safety.

“The new guidance should be seen as a challenge to all organisations to review how well they are complying with their duties to investigate, and how well they are embedding lessons learned in their operations.

“A team-based approach led by a senior manager and involving staff ‘at the sharp end’ has real advantages.”

Research suggested that even the best organisations could improve their approach and many organisations were failing to investigate altogether. “Whether you are a senior director in a higher performing company, an experienced health and safety professional, or a highly-trained safety representative, there will be numerous ways in which you can help to improve your organisation’s approach to learning from prevention failure,” Roger Bibbings said.

*RoSPA plans to hold a series of seminars soon focusing on investigation and providing updates on latest thinking and practice.