Should Work Incidents Be Treated Like “CSI” (crime scene investigation)?

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is a very popular TV network show.  So popular, in fact, that it has been airing for 15 seasons.  Audiences obviously enjoy the drama as the investigators sift through the evidence to solve the crime.  The attention to details and minute clues are imperative to solving some cases.  Do these investigations and investigator skills apply to the workplace when incidents occur?  I think there is a case to be made that they do and should apply.  Obviously, workplace incidents related to injuries or errors aren’t typically ‘crime scenes’; however, they often do hold valuable information for the employer that can lead to reduced costs, prevent future losses and improve their operations.

The costs of incidents to the employer are many and multi-faceted.  Work injuries result in costs related to the medical care of the employee, staffing issues if the employee is off work or on restrictions and work comp insurance costs due to increase in modification rate.  In addition, there is always the possibility of work comp fraud, i.e. the employee didn’t get hurt at work.  It wouldn’t surprise me if fraudulent injury claims increase in the upcoming months and years for two reasons:  One, employees having to pay more out of pocket for their healthcare as more and more employers’ transition to high deductible healthcare plans, and two, from health providers who may want to receive higher reimbursement rates.  Errors and quality issues in general result in costs related to rework, decreased customer satisfaction and perhaps negatively affect the company’s reputation.  Either incident type deserves the CSI treatment.

The cause of the incident is very important.  For injuries, verifying that it did indeed occur at work is the first question to answer.  The second is to determine the what, why and how in order to prevent such injuries from occurring again.  For errors, determining what, why and how is just as important for determining the root cause and prevention going forward.

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation:  The best treatment for workplace incidences

The following steps should be a part of your CSI:

• Have the employee(s) immediately put all the facts in writing—every detail.  Provide a form for them so no detail is overlooked
• Follow this up by having the job supervisor conduct the CSI—a complete investigation of the scene by walking through each detail, step by step, and taking notes on every aspect.  The purpose is to verify how it happened.  This is then used to design the counter measures to prevent reoccurrence
• Interview other employees/witnesses who were on the scene. 
• Were there any warning signs prior to the incident that were overlooked?  For example, was the employee very fatigued since s/he works another job, was the employee upset at the company, did the employee have previous write-ups, etc.
• Document the use or non-use of all tools and equipment, and policies/procedures followed/not followed
• Is there any video surveillance available in the area where the incident occurred?
• Repeat the first step. If you are a CSI viewer you undoubtedly have noticed the investigators ask suspects many times to repeat what happened.  That is because it’s very hard to fabricate a story exactly the same way each time if it wasn’t true.  Also, be sure to compare the employee’s story with the story from the witnesses.  The majority of the details should be in alignment.

The best advice is to conduct a CSI of every incident.  They are learning events and in some cases, can prevent employers from paying a false claim.  It’s up to you to do your due diligence and prevent future losses.