Industrial Accident, investigation and videos

Industrial Accident, Investigation and videos:

OSHA strongly encourages employers to investigate all incidents in which a worker was hurt, as well as close calls (sometimes called "near misses"), in which a worker might have been hurt if the circumstances had been slightly different.

In the past, the term "accident" was often used when referring to an unplanned, unwanted event. To many, "accident" suggests an event that was random, and could not have been prevented. Since nearly all work site fatalities, injuries, and illnesses are preventable, OSHA suggests using the term "incident" investigation.

Investigating a Work site Incident:

Investigating a work site incident— a fatality, injury, illness, or close call— provides employers and workers the opportunity to identify hazards in their operations and shortcomings in their safety and health programs. Most importantly, it enables employers and workers to identify and implement the corrective actions necessary to prevent future incidents.

Incident investigations that focus on identifying and correcting root causes, not on finding fault or blame, also improve workplace morale and increase productivity, by demonstrating an employer’s commitment to a safe and healthful workplace.

Incident investigations are often conducted by a supervisor, but to be most effective, these investigations should include managers and employees working together, since each bring different knowledge, understanding and perspectives to the investigation.

In conducting an incident investigation, the team must look beyond the immediate causes of an incident. It is far too easy, and often misleading, to conclude that carelessness or failure to follow a procedure alone was the cause of an incident. To do so fails to discover the underlying or root causes of the incident, and therefore fails to identify the systemic changes and measures needed to prevent future incidents. When a shortcoming is identified, it is important to ask why it existed and why it was not previously addressed.

For example:

  • If a procedure or safety rule was not followed, why was the procedure or rule not followed?
  • Did production pressures play a role, and, if so, why were production pressures permitted to jeopardize safety?
  • Was the procedure out-of-date or safety training inadequate? If so, why had the problem not been previously identified, or, if it had been identified, why had it not been addressed?

These examples illustrate that it is essential to discover and correct all the factors contributing to an incident, which nearly always involve equipment, procedural, training, and other safety and health program deficiencies.

Addressing underlying or root causes is necessary to truly understand why an incident occurred, to develop truly effective corrective actions, and to minimize or eliminate serious consequences from similar future incidents.


Formosa Plastics Polypropylene Explosion

Accident Type: Chemical Manufacturing - Fire and Explosion

Company Name: Formosa Plastics

Location: Point Comfort, T

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Investigation report


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Propylene fire and explosion

Con Agra Natural Gas Explosion and Ammonia Release

Accident Type: Flammable Vapor

Company Name: Con Agra Foods

Location: Garner, NC

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Investigation report


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 Deadly practices

Formosa Plastics Vinyl Chloride Explosion

Accident Type: Chemical Manufacturing - Fire and Explosion

Company Name: Formosa Plastics

Location: Illiopolis, IL

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Investigation report


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Vinyl Chloride Explosion


Valero Refinery Asphyxiation Incident

Accident Type: Confined Space/ Asphyxiation

Company Name: Valero

Location: Delaware City, DE

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Investigation Report


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Hazard of Nitrogen Asphyxiation

Hoeganaes Corporation Fatal Flash Fires

Accident Type: Combustible Dust Explosion and Fire

Company Name: Hoeganaes Corporation

Location: Gallatin, TN

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Investigation report


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Iron in the fire

Imperial Sugar Company Dust Explosion and Fire

Accident Type: Combustible Dust Explosion and Fire

Company Name: Imperial Sugar Company

Location: Port Wentworth, GA

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Investigation report


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Dust explosion at Imperial sugar

Donaldson Enterprises,Fatal Fireworks Disassembly Explosion & Fire

Accident Type: Reactive Incident

Company Name: Donaldson Enterprises

Location: Waipahu, HI

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Investigation report


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Deadly contract-Fire works Fatal


Motiva Enterprises Sulfuric Acid Tank Explosion

Accident Type: Hot Work - Explosion and Fire

Company Name: Motiva Enterprises

Location: Delaware City, DE

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Investigation report


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Danger of hot work


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