22 AVENUES WINTER 2019 SAFETY & SECURITY 1118 Brodie Drive, Orillia, Ontario L3V 6H4 Office: 705-326-4711 | Fax: 705-326-0305 jstewart@jgstewart.ca | www.jgstewart.ca CRUSHING, WASHING, SCREENING A ccident prevention is top of mind for most quarry and pit operators. However, as everyone knows, despite all neces- sary precautions, accidents can and do happen. What happens then? The steps quarry owners take after an incident are just as important as the steps they take to prevent accidents from happening in the first place. “The owners and managers of gravel pits and quarries in Ontario are strongly committed to accident prevention. Sometimes, however, despite the best efforts, incidents do  occur. So we have clear and established steps in place to deal with  a situation when it happens,” stresses Richard Erdmann, chair of OSSGA’s Health & Safety Committee. Following is a summary of key steps that should be taken, as outlined in a fact-sheet put out by the Public Services Health & Safety Associ- ation (“How to Investigate an Incident”). For any company active in the aggregates industry, it is worth regularly reviewing these seven steps. All workplace accidents will be investigated, and all workers need to be aware of the process so they can contribute the neces- sary information. 3STEP 1: Take immediate action This may include action to prevent injury or damage, as well as informing workers of the identified hazard and how it is being controlled. It might also involve securing the incident scene until the investigation at the scene is finished and identifying potential information sources (people you can talk to, evidence you can look at or gather). 3STEP 2: Gather evidence When gathering evidence, identify the hazard. Gather informa- tion that provides the complete picture of what happened from the beginning of the incident and what contributed to the final event. Ensure that the evidence is factual and relates to actions that were seen, heard or taken. One of two ways to gather evidence is to examine the scene. For example, make sketches and/or take pictures, measurements and samples of substances. Note the environmental conditions (e.g., lighting, noise, signs). Collect foreign objects or broken pieces of equipment. Also, check written work processes and procedures. The other avenue for evidence collection is to interview people – the injured worker, witnesses and/or the supervisor. “Question workers in a cooperative manner. This must be a fact-finding exercise; do not assign blame. Ask effective questions that stimulate more than ‘yes’ ACCIDENT HAPPENS When an What to do when there’s a workplace accident at a pit or quarry By Treena Hein