A thought-provoking document highlighting some of the challenges people face when investigating workplace accidents has been produced by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA).

The comprehensive downloadable resource entitled Learning how to learn from accidents encourages employers to think about how well their organisation copes with unplanned accidents and incidents, and its ability to stop them happening again and to learn lessons.

The report, which focuses on how to respond to accidents effectively, has been designed to support accident investigation training and covers subjects such as behavioural safety, getting clarity about objectives and thinking harder about accidents.

It has been put together by RoSPA’s National Occupational Safety & Health Committee (NOSHC).

Karen McDonnell, RoSPA’s occupational safety and health policy adviser, said: “This resource is extremely useful in helping organisations to cope with unplanned and adverse events that can cause unnecessary harm and loss. It is packed full of guidance on what to do in the hours following an accident.

“Accidents and incidents are damaging to people and organisations - but they also present important opportunities for everyone to learn lessons, which, if acted on, will not only help prevent recurrence of similar events but will also help to improve the way risks are managed generally.”

The document is available for download at www.rospa.com/occupational-safety/affiliated-groups/noshc/#learning.

To find out more about worklplace safety at RoSPA visit www.rospa.com/occupational-safety/