Whom should be interviewed during an incident investigation?

• A. Injured workers, witnesses, and people involved with the process
• B. Only supervisors
• C. Only managers
• D. External contractors only

Answer: (A)

In incident investigations, gathering firsthand information from those who directly experienced or observed the event is crucial. Interviewing injured workers, witnesses, and people involved with the process covers the different angles: the injured worker can describe injuries, symptoms, equipment used, safety procedures in place, and any immediate hazards; witnesses can recount the sequence of events, timing, actions by others, and environmental conditions; those involved with the process understand the work system, controls, procedures, and deviations that contributed to the incident. This broad input helps build an accurate timeline and identify root causes across people, processes, and places.

Choosing only supervisors or only managers misses important details and perspectives, since they may not have full awareness of what actually happened on the ground. Interviewing external contractors alone may overlook internal factors and the broader context of the process.