Many facilities and contractors still use the autocratic model for their management structure. For maximum benefit, the company's culture must be open to thorough, unbiased accident investigations that get at the truth and analyze the facts to identify the underlying causes. Workers' recommendations should be sought. More than anyone else, the people who are doing the job every day know what's not working and should be redesigned. When accident investigation is presented as an intelligent use of data to find manufacturing bottlenecks and reengineering opportunities, with a short payback period and a high net present value for the investment, top management becomes very interested in supporting the process.
Cultural change starts at the top.
The plant managers must then tell their supervisors how they want future accident investigations to be handled and give them concrete guidelines and training. Plant managers must hold their supervisors accountable for doing high-quality investigations. At some companies, workers found at fault for accidents are penalized. That practice must be ended because it only encourages coverups. An outside loss control expert can play a key role in helping to change the corporate culture.