4.1 Investigating and reporting incidents

Written by Imran Qureshi (NEBOSH)

NEBOSH IGC · Health and safety management · 15 questions

Name: ____________________ Date: ____________

HSG245 describes how many levels of incident investigation?
- A Four
- B Three
- C Two
- D Six
The first step in a basic incident investigation is to:
- A Identify risk control measures
- B Write the action plan
- C Gather the information
- D Dismiss those involved
Why should near misses be investigated?
- A They show hazards before harm occurs
- B They are a legal requirement everywhere
- C They save insurance costs
- D They are always illegal
The purpose of an incident investigation is to:
- A Satisfy the press
- B Find someone to blame
- C Find immediate and underlying causes and prevent recurrence
- D Avoid insurance claims
HSG245 recommends that the level of investigation should be:
- A Low for every incident
- B High for every incident
- C Proportionate to the seriousness of the incident
- D The same for every incident
Which investigation level uses the bigger team and more detailed methods?
- A Minimal
- B High
- C None
- D Low
In the basic steps of investigation, step two is to:
- A Analyse the information
- B Set up an action plan
- C Gather the information
- D Identify risk control measures
Information gathered in an investigation can include:
- A Only the manager's opinion
- B Only the weather
- C Only the injured person's age
- D The scene, witness accounts, documents and photographs
An immediate cause of an incident is:
- A The founder's decision
- B The unsafe act or condition that led directly to it
- C The national economy
- D The company's history
Underlying causes of incidents are often:
- A Always the weather
- B Failures of management systems
- C Always the worker's fault
- D Always the equipment supplier
Which of these is the final step of a basic investigation?
- A Set up an action plan and see that it is carried out
- B Interview the manager
- C Gather the information
- D Review the policy
Why should a near miss be reported?
- A It shows a hazard before anyone is harmed
- B It is not important
- C It proves the law is wrong
- D It always causes injury
Organisations have to record and report occupational accidents and diseases following:
- A Advertising standards
- B Social media guidelines
- C National law and the ILO Code of Practice on recording and notification
- D Supplier rules only
Investigating only the immediate cause of an incident is likely to:
- A Miss the underlying causes so the incident may recur
- B Remove the need for control
- C Prevent all future incidents
- D Satisfy every audit
What is HSG245?
- A HSE guidance on investigating accidents and incidents
- B A noise regulation
- C A list of exposure limits
- D A fire alarm standard

Answer key

1. A, 2. C, 3. A, 4. C, 5. C, 6. B, 7. A, 8. D, 9. B, 10. B, 11. A, 12. A, 13. C, 14. A, 15. A

Minimal, low, medium and high.
Step one is gathering information.
Near misses are warnings.
Learning from incidents is the main aim.
Minimal, low, medium and high levels are described.
Higher levels use bigger teams, more time and more detail.
The steps are gather, analyse, identify controls, action plan.
Many sources give a fuller picture.
Underlying causes are the deeper management and organisational failures.
Underlying causes lie behind the immediate causes.
Action ensures the learning is applied.
Near misses are free warnings.
The Code covers chapters 4 to 7 on recording and notification.
Underlying causes must be addressed too.
It describes the four investigation levels.