An incident investigation is a formal process used to determine how and why a workplace incident occurred, whether it resulted in injury, property damage, or was a near miss. As part of your Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) management system, the goal is not to assign blame, but to identify root causes, contributing factors, and underlying hazards to prevent similar incidents from happening again.
A well-conducted investigation helps uncover gaps in training, procedures, supervision, or equipment and forms a critical part of a safe and proactive work environment. Incident investigations demonstrate due diligence, support regulatory compliance, and strengthen safety culture. Most importantly, they help protect workers and reduce legal and financial risk. Failure to investigate serious incidents is a violation of WorkSafeBC regulations and may result in penalties or orders.
There’s a lot to consider when creating your organization’s incident investigation process. Check out our templates and resources, created with social service workers in mind, to help your process.
Program Builder: Incident Investigation Course
Program Builder: Incident Near Miss Report Form
Program Builder: WorkSafeBC Employer Incident Investigation Report Form (Form 52E40)
Program Builder: Reporting Incidents to WorkSafeBC
Program Builder: WorkSafeBC Employer incident investigations Online reporting tool
Program Builder: WorkSafeBC Reference Guide for Employer Incident Investigations
WorkSafeBC Requirements
Incident investigations are required under the Workers Compensation Act and the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Regulation.
Learn more:
- Workers Compensation Act Part Division 10 – Employer Accident Reporting and Investigation
- WorkSafeBC Contents of Program – OHS Regulation Section 3.3e
Under Section 173 of the Workers Compensation Act, employers must immediately report and investigate any incident that involves:
- Serious injury to a worker or a worker’s death
- Injury requiring medical treatment
- Minor injury, or no injury, but had the potential for causing serious injury (near miss)
- Major structural failure or collapse
- Major release of hazardous substances
These are also called immediately reportable incidents. To notify WorkSafeBC of an immediately reportable incident, contact the Prevention Information Line.
Incident Investigations are a core part of an effective health and safety program. Train your managers and supervisors on incident investigation with our free online incident investigation course. Or upgrade your knowledge with practical skills by taking our classroom course.
What Employers Need to Know
Process
- Incident investigations have four stages: conducting a preliminary investigation, implementing interim corrective actions, completing a full investigation, and finalizing corrective actions to prevent recurrence. Each stage must be properly documented to ensure compliance and support a safer workplace.
- Employers must follow specific timelines and procedures as outlined by WorkSafeBC regulations, including:
- Conducting a preliminary investigation within 48 hours of the incident.
- Submitting a full investigation report within 30 days.
- Implementing corrective actions to prevent a similar incident from occurring.
- Involving the JOHSC or worker health and safety representative throughout the process.
- Keeping investigation records on file and providing copies upon request.
- The full investigation report must be posted in the workplace for all workers within 30 days of the incident.
- WorkSafeBC may conduct investigations into workplace incidents that result in serious injury or death, or that have the potential to cause serious harm.
Legal Requirements
- Employers are responsible for investigating workplace incidents and submitting Employer Incident Investigation Reports (EIIRs) to WorkSafeBC.
- If an incident involves serious injury, potential for serious injury, or significant risk, it must be reported to WorkSafeBC immediately. Learn more what is immediately reportable to WorkSafeBC.
- Investigation records must be maintained for at least seven years, and employers must implement a corrective action tracking system to ensure follow-up and verify the effectiveness of measures taken.
- Employers, workers, and other parties are legally required to cooperate with WorkSafeBC by providing access to the site, answering questions, and supplying any requested documents or records.
Best Practices
Standardize Your Approach
- Use a standardized investigation process to ensure consistency and thoroughness.
- Develop a written incident investigation procedure, including the following:
- When and how investigations occur;
- Who investigates;
- How workers and the Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee (JOHSC) are involved;
- What forms and timelines to follow.
- Conduct investigations promptly after an incident occurs to preserve evidence and gather accurate information, as well as identify corrective actions that may lead to recurrence.
- Communicate investigation findings and lessons learned to all workers.
Continuous Improvement
- Focus on identifying root causes and contributing factors, not placing blame.
- Receive formal incident investigation training to understand legal requirements, investigation techniques, and root cause analysis.
- Follow root cause analysis methods such as the 5 Whys, fishbone diagram, or taproot.
- Regularly review and update investigation procedures to reflect best practices, regulatory changes, and the effectiveness of controls.
Disclaimer: This resource is intended to help community social service organizations understand the requirements of developing different aspects of health and safety programs. It provides information on key concepts and directs users to relevant resources. The content above is not a substitute for professional legal advice. Please refer to the included links or consult official legislation and resources for current and accurate information.