Corporate Safety Programs

A primary mission of the Department of Energy (DOE) is to manage its programs and operate its facilities with a high level of safety. The DOE accident investigation process has been designed to meet Departmental safety objectives by responding to accidents in a highly coordinated, timely, and focused manner. Preventing accidents and reducing lost time and fatalities due to accidents are line management responsibilities. However, the DOE Accident Investigation Program provides useful and timely information to managers within the complex in an efficient manner so they can use the information to improve their programs.

The objectives of the Accident Investigation Program are to prescribe requirements for conducting investigations that will assist line management in meeting its responsibilities to:

• contribute to improved environmental protection and enhanced safety and health of DOE employees, contractors, and the public;
• prevent the recurrence of accidents; and
• reduce accident fatality rates and promote a downward trend in the number and severity of accidents.

To accomplish these objectives, the accident investigation process must respond with speed, accuracy, focus, and brevity. The results of accident investigations can help managers eliminate underlying causes and prevent similar accidents. To achieve maximum benefit, accident investigations need to be convened rapidly, staffed and supported adequately, focused on pertinent and essential facts and causal factors, conducted accurately and thoroughly, concluded quickly, and reported clearly and concisely. Analytical techniques used to draw conclusions and to establish causes must be valid, appropriate, and easy to use. Finally, sound judgments of need should be developed to promote better safety practices, address systemic problems, and, when implemented, help prevent future occurrences.

The Office of Health, Safety and Security, Office of Corporate Safety Programs maintains a DOE Workbook entitled Conducting Accident Investigations as part of a continuing effort to enhance quality and achieve program goals and objectives. The Workbook describes the process and principal activities for conducting accident investigations, in accordance with DOE Order 225.1A, Accident Investigations, and its accompanying Implementation Guide. DOE Order 225.1A establishes requirements and responsibilities for Headquarters, heads of field elements, Accident Investigation Boards, and DOE contractors, who must collectively implement the Accident Investigation Program. All of these documents are included on the home page:

	DOE Order 225.1A, Accident Investigations
	Implementation Guide for Use with DOE Order 225.1A, Accident Investigations
	DOE Workbook, Conducting Accident Investigations HTML, PDF
	Accident Investigation Day Planner: A Guide for Accident Investigation Board Chairpersons
	Administrative Coordinator and Editor Guide
	Type A Accident Investigations
	Type B Accident Investigations
	Limited-Scope Investigations
	Resource Listing Questionnaire

Other Useful Links

	DOE Lessons Learned Program and Database
	Other DOE Accident, Injury, Illness Reports, and Bulletins of Interest
	DOE Corrective Action Tracking System and Database
	DOT Transportation Safety Institute
	DOE Directives, Standards, and Guides
	DOE Lessons Learned and Best Practices
	DOE Occurrence Reports
	DOE Computerized Accident Incident Reporting System (CAIRS)
	DOE National Training Center (NTC)
	National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)
	National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Training Academy
	National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Guides and Procedures
	NASA Columbia Accident Investigation Board
	Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board
	OSHA Accident Investigations
	Canadian Center of Occupational Safety and Health Accident Investigations
	Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Accident Investigations

For information regarding the program, staff can be contacted as follows:

David K. Pegram, MPA, CIH
Manager
Accident Prevention, Investigation, and Emergency Operations Support Program
U. S. Department of Energy
Office of Health, Safety and Security
Office of Corporate Safety Programs
U.S. Department of Energy, Germantown Headquarters
Telephone: 301-903-9840
E-mail: David K. Pegram