Accident Investigation Principles Flashcards
7 cards from real COSS practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Accident Investigation Principles flashcards as text
Which of the following factors is considered a 'contributing cause' rather than a 'root cause' in accident investigation?
Answer: A spilled liquid on the floor that a worker slipped on
The spilled liquid is a contributing cause — a condition that enabled the accident — while the root cause is the systemic failure (e.g., inadequate housekeeping procedures) that allowed the spill to remain unaddressed.
What is the primary advantage of using a structured investigation methodology (such as TapRooT or RCFA) over an informal review?
Answer: It ensures consistency, thoroughness, and defensibility of findings
Structured methodologies provide systematic, repeatable processes that improve consistency, ensure thoroughness, and produce defensible findings that can withstand external scrutiny.
A worker sustains a serious injury while operating a machine that lacked required guarding. The investigation reveals the guard was never installed. What type of cause does this represent?
Answer: Latent system failure — engineering/design deficiency
A guard that was never installed represents a latent system failure originating in engineering, procurement, or installation processes — not an active human error at the time of injury.
When determining the scope of an accident investigation, which factor MOST influences how thorough the investigation should be?
Answer: The actual or potential severity of the outcome
Investigation thoroughness should be proportional to the actual or potential severity of the outcome, with catastrophic or high-potential incidents warranting the most comprehensive investigations.
Which of the following BEST describes the purpose of distributing an accident investigation report beyond the immediate work group?
Answer: To share lessons learned and prevent similar incidents across the organization
Sharing investigation findings across the organization multiplies the value of each investigation by allowing other work groups to learn from and apply lessons before a similar accident occurs elsewhere.
In accident causation theory, Heinrich's Domino Theory proposed that most industrial accidents result from:
Answer: A sequence of factors beginning with social environment and culminating in injury
Heinrich's Domino Theory described accidents as a sequence of five factors — social environment, personal fault, unsafe act/condition, accident, and injury — each like a falling domino.
Which of the following BEST illustrates the concept of 'management system failure' as a root cause category?
Answer: No formal procedure existed for workers to report hazards they observed
The absence of a hazard reporting procedure is a management system failure — it reflects a breakdown in the organizational systems designed to identify and control workplace hazards.