If you live in the US, everyone is talking about the Baltimore Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse. But let’s get real.
There have been several industrial accidents across the globe costing billions of US dollars in clean-up and lost revenue. Large multinational corporations operating around the world want to make money. Not lose it. This is where the industrial accident investigator plays a big role. This skilled professional can be a general investigator who is specialized. Specializations are:
- Accident Reconstruction Expert
- Traffic Accident Investigator
- Forensic Mechanic
- Accident Investigator
Businesses are interested in finding out why the accident happened, who caused it, and how it could be prevented. Industrial Accident Investigators will also be hired to help with business continuity. The general public too wants to know this information to figure out which party was most responsible for the industrial accident. The public also wants to know how the accident happened to prevent it from occurring in the future. Thereby limiting the future loss of human life.
Industrial Accidents Investigated by the Industrial Accident Investigator
Of course, the companies and insurance firms impacted will also need to calculate the lost potential unrealized by human fatalities. Industrial accidents occur in agrarian economies build upon food and soil as well as in the most advanced mechanized and industrialized societies. What industrial accidents would an investigator be called to investigate?
- In 1989, Exxon Valdez spilled in Alaska representing he largest oil spill at the time. There were billions of US dollars of oil spilt into the ocean, lost for ever. Too, sea life, fish and mammals died because of the contamination of their ecosystem.
- Sections of a hydroelectric dam in Laos completed collapsed in 2018 leading to death and displacement.
- In 2020 in the Port of Beirut, an industrial explosion of dangerous chemicals (ammonium nitrate) damaged buildings, killing more than 200 innocent people with more than 7,000 injured.
- From 2019 to 2020 there were several notable natural resource mining disasters happening in several countries. Mines to extract gold, iron ore, copper and cobalt were sites most prevalent. In Minas Gerais, Brazil; Lualaba, Kolwezi, Kalwezi, and Lialaba, Democratic Republic of the Congo; and Listvyazhnaya, Russia many miners died.
Industrial Accident Investigator Job Responsibilities
An industrial accident investigator, visits the scene, usually within an hour or two of notification. Once they arrive at the site of the industrial calamity they may photograph the setting, mark, collect and analyze evidence, interview survivors and surrounding witnesses, and compile a detailed report. Other responsibilities can include:
- Helping to administering first aid (as needed)
- Making calls for additional assistance from other first responders, including emergency medical personnel
- Verifying the identity of the victims, survivors, witnesses and key stakeholders with responsible functions related to the accident
- Helping to cordon impacted areas to prevent evidence tampering and contamination
- Helping to maintain traffic control (on land and sea) at accident scenes and re-directing non-essential personnel to prevent hazardous incidents as directed
- Using specialized equipment to record accident data and imagery
- Reporting to supervisors, legal teams and insurance companies of their findings