Following the medical attention given to the employee, a prompt
investigation of the accident should be conducted. Conducting accident
investigations serves three purposes for employers. The first purpose is
making employers aware of unsafe conditions. The condition of safety
may be improved by identifying training requirements, updating
equipment, and by instilling proper job procedures, or altering job
design.
The second purpose of investigating accidents is to prevent fraudulent
claims of injuries. Employers who conduct consistent and thorough
investigations dissuade employees from making false workers’
compensation claims.
Record keeping is the third and possibly the most important purpose of investigating injuries. Companies with less than 10 employees are not required to document injuries if there is a good safety record already in place. Other businesses need to fill out an annual record of accidents. This requires documentation in case of subsequent inspection from OSHA.