Incidents, both natural and man-made, happen. In recent years, many safety people have been tasked with managing incident response.

It's a heavy duty, especially for those more experienced in such areas as lockout/tagout, machine guarding, and hazard communication.

Certified safety professional Carroll Higdon is regional safety manager for Charter Communications in Birmingham, Alabama. He has considerable experience in refineries, chemical plants, power generation, electrical transmission, utilities, and telecommunications.

Higdon has identified four components of incident response, which he uses in his work and teaching on the topic. His insights may help you initiate or enhance your own incident-response planning.

1. Incident management plan: Also known as a crisis management or crisis communication plan, it explains in detail each step required in the event of an incident. The written plan should include:

• Emergency response information. This includes how employees will get emergency responders to the site--plus considerations ranging from the possibility of air evacuations to communications for employees working in remote areas.
• Roles and responsibilities. The plan should list names and positions of each individual responsible for each aspect of incident management, Higdon advises.
• Communication. The plan should clearly assign communication tasks--specifically how, when, why, and to whom and by whom information is conveyed.
• Security. Securing and preserving the site during and after incidents is key. The plan lists the steps necessary to do this. You may need to include what's known as chain-of-custody documentation, a process that helps ensure potential evidence is not lost.
• Counseling. Identify a preferred counseling service and describe in the plan how it will be contacted and deployed to help employees deal with a catastrophe.

2. Accident investigation plan: Every incident, regardless of cause or size, can yield valuable information. According to Higdon, a plan helps ensure that the information is gathered efficiently. He recommends these components:

• Post-accident procedures. List detailed procedures for conducting all levels of accident investigation, from minor to catastrophic.
• Chain of command. The accident-investigation plan answers questions including: Who's in charge when things go wrong? What authority do they have? What personnel resources are available? How and when are investigation boards created?
• Scene preservation. This covers how the accident scene and surrounding area will be preserved and for how long.
• Evidence collection and analysis. Evidence can include anything from physical clues to photographs, witness statements, pertinent documents or drawings, and process-flow charts. Following collection and analysis, a written report should be completed.

Accident investigation plan components also include a means to track findings and recommendations, as well as a means to update everyone involved about the progress of the investigation.

3. Trained lead investigator: According to Higdon, investigative skills are not intuitive and must be learned. Every organization should have someone who is educated and trained in conducting accident investigations. The investigator may work alone or with an accident-investigation team or board. A board includes the following positions:

• Lead investigator
• Management representative
• Engineer
• Supervisor
• Employee

Depending on the situation other roles may be warranted, such as an insurance, legal, or union representative.

4. Trained supervisors and workers: It's up to organizations to let employees know what they're expected to do and provide appropriate incident response training at least annually.

The level of training necessary will depend on the type of work performed and the possible hazards.

It's important, Higdon adds, to practice these roles so that personnel are more likely to react according to plan when and if an actual incident occurs.