Firstly, there are legal requirements.  If the accident occurred on a public road, the driver of the vehicle will have to comply with the duties specified in the National Road Traffic Act.  If, on the other hand, the incident occurred on private property, the Occupational Health and Safety laws will come into effect.

Secondly, in addition to any legal requirements, there will be various company requirements to be fulfilled, including an investigation to determine the real cause of the accident and prevent a recurrence.

The most difficult part of any investigation, regardless of fatalities or injuries, is to stay impartial and without prejudice of any kind.  There must be no emotion shown which could indicate the contrary as this could prejudice the outcome.

          
PART 1: LEGAL REQUIREMENTS

National Road Traffic Act

• Duties of the operator (section 49)
• Accident reporting requirements (section 61(1)

Occupational Health & Safety Act

• Report to inspector regarding certain incidents (section 24)
• General Administrative Regulations, 2003

Immediate on-site procedure - accident involving vehicle carrying dangerous goods

PART 2: HEAVY VEHICLE BRAKING SYSTEMS

• Functioning of brake systems including anti-lock braking systems (ABS) and electronically-controlled braking systems (EBS).
• Procedure for inspection of braking systems of vehicles involved in accidents.

PART 3: TYRES AND ROAD WHEELS

• Tyre design and construction.
• Procedure for inspection of wheels and tyres of vehicles involved in accidents.

PART 4: PROTECTING THE COMPANY/ORGANISATION

• What the company requires
• The real costs of accidents

PART 5 - ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION TEAM ACTIVITIES

• Site inspection
• On-site inspection, including physical examination of vehicles involved in the accident, BEFORE and AFTER salvaging
• Case studies
• Driver report(s)
• Witness report(s)
• Examination of driver's record and medical history
• SAPS and Metro Police reports and case number
• Social worker's report
• Vehicle maintenance and repair history

PART 6: VEHICLE FIRES

• Tyre fires
• Electrical fires
• Other

PART 7: PREPARING THE REPORT

PART 8  -  PRESENTING EVIDENCE

PART 9  -  COURSE CONCLUSION and DISCUSSION

Delegates will be required to prepare a proposed procedure, based on the course content, to be followed in investigating future incidents affecting their own organisation to be submitted to top management.