Evaluating OSHA’s fatality and catastrophe investigation summaries: Arc flash focus

Incident investigations aim to provide meaningful information that can assist in the prevention of future recurrences and aid policymakers in identifying inadequate safety standards and systems. There are few, if any, studies that have assessed the public investigation effort and its contribution to improving overall site safety in the United States. This article assesses the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Fatality and Catastrophe Investigation Summaries (FCIS) program. The findings indicate that the FCIS does not fulfill all its goals in improving overall site safety, and there is a need for improvement. Specifically, the program methodology and data collection approach should be reevaluated and revamped to effectively determine the causes of work-related incidents. The findings of this study will assist and encourage public agencies to enhance their investigation programs. In addition, detailed descriptions of the current deficiencies in the process have been provided and should help public entities focus on the most critical elements that need improvement. Precisely, the investigation methodology and findings dissemination are the most critical elements that must be revisited. Overall, this study identifies the current program’s key weaknesses that hinder valuable opportunities for acquiring practical knowledge for improving overall safety performance.

事故调查旨在提供有意义的信息，以帮助防止未来再次发生类似事故，并协助政策制定者识别不完善的安全标准和制度。在美国，很少（如果有的话）有研究对公共调查工作及其对提高整体现场安全的贡献进行评估。本文对职业安全与健康管理局（OSHA）的死亡和灾难调查总结（FCIS）计划进行了评估。研究结果表明，FCIS在提高整体现场安全方面没有完全实现其所有目标，需要加以改进。具体而言，应该重新评估和改进该计划的方法和数据收集方式，以有效确定与工作相关事故的原因。本研究的结果将有助于并鼓励公共机构加强其调查计划。此外，还详细描述了该过程中目前存在的缺陷，这应有助于公共实体关注最需要改进的关键要素。确切地说，调查方法和调查结果的传播是必须重新审视的最关键要素。总体而言，本研究确定了当前计划的关键弱点，这些弱点阻碍了获取实用知识以提高整体安全绩效的宝贵机会。