OSHA’s Process Safety Management (PSM) Mandate requires that facilities investigate each incident “which resulted in, or could have reasonably resulted in a catastrophic release of highly hazardous chemical in the workplace.” The mandate language provides guidance on the required elements for the investigation. However, it is limited in terms of offering direction on how to conduct the investigation effectively.

Root Cause Analysis (RCA) is one of the leading tools used in incident investigation. It provides structure to ensure that the investigation team identifies the true cause of the incident, enabling effective corrective actions. Investigation teams need to be willing to look beyond the seemingly obvious immediate causes of an incident to ensure they uncover the true root cause of each incident. The purpose of the investigation is not to assign blame, but rather to identify failures in existing systems that led to the incident occurring. Corrective actions can then be identified and addressed to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.

This two-day incident investigation course teaches attendees how to conduct a comprehensive investigation to find root causes of incidents and near misses. The program includes establishing an investigation management system, investigation priorities, gathering evidence (physical, interviews and documentation), reaching root causes, reporting, recommendations and response. The course also covers responding to major incidents and cooperation with OSHA, EPA, CSB and other investigative organizations.

AcuTech consultants have supported organizations in numerous incident investigations and are intimately familiar with the tools and approaches used. In addition, AcuTech consultants leverage their experience with continuous improvement in management systems to ensure that corrective actions follow industry best practice. AcuTech offers expertise in Root Cause Analysis, Events and Causal Factors Analysis (ECFA), expert witness services, litigation support, regulatory penalties, and third-party moderation.