Accident Investigation Policy¶
| Document Reference | POL_HSQE_01 |
|---|---|
| Revision | 3 |
| Issue Date | 1st July 2025 |
| Next Review | 1st July 2026 |
| Status | Uncontrolled when printed |
Purpose¶
A M Water Services Ltd investigates all accidents, incidents and near misses to understand what went wrong and prevent it happening again. Every incident is a learning opportunity that helps protect our team and improve how we work. This demonstrates our commitment to our "#TEAM" philosophy where Together Everyone Achieves More, especially in safety.
Scope¶
This policy covers all incidents involving our employees, contractors, visitors and members of the public. It applies to injuries, property damage, environmental spills and near misses across all our operations including water main laying, grab services and office activities.
Legal Requirements¶
We must comply with RIDDOR Regulations 2013 which require us to report specified injuries, over 7-day absences and dangerous occurrences to the HSE. The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and CDM Regulations 2015 also require proper investigation of construction incidents.
What Must Be Reported¶
Every incident needs reporting, no matter how small. This includes any injury requiring first aid, near misses that could have caused harm, service strikes on gas, electric or water mains, vehicle incidents with our grab lorries, environmental spills, and equipment failures. Remember, a near miss today could be a serious accident tomorrow if we don't learn from it.
Investigation Process¶
For minor incidents like first aid injuries, the supervisor investigates within 24 hours to identify what happened and make quick improvements. Serious incidents involving lost time or RIDDOR reporting need Director involvement within 48 hours to find root causes and develop prevention plans. Major incidents with HSE involvement require external support and full board review.
How We Investigate¶
We use the "5 Whys" technique, asking why something happened repeatedly until we find the real root cause. We look beyond the obvious immediate cause to find underlying system failures and management factors. Common causes in our industry include inadequate service location before digging, excavation collapse, manual handling of heavy pipes, and vehicle movements on site.
Responsibilities¶
Directors lead serious investigations, ensure RIDDOR reporting and communicate lessons learned across the business. Supervisors investigate minor incidents immediately, collect witness statements and monitor that corrective actions work. All employees must report incidents straight away, give honest accounts of what happened and help identify better ways of working.
Taking Action¶
After investigation, we implement improvements using the hierarchy of controls. Where possible we eliminate hazards completely or substitute with something safer. If that's not possible, we add engineering controls like guards or barriers, improve procedures and training, and ensure correct PPE is worn. All actions are given deadlines and someone responsible for completion.
Review¶
We monitor our performance through monthly safety meetings where we review all incidents and identify trends. The policy itself is reviewed annually or after any significant incident.
Signed:
Aaron Mason Director A M Water Services Ltd 1st July 2025
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