Instructions: The accident matrices is an effective tool for helping the investigator account for, and analyze, the many factors and causes of an accident. Information that is collected during the investigation about the IPP, objects, agents and environment (see definitions) involved in the accident should be plugged into the appropriate time cells of the table. When complete, the information will help the investigator account for what was going on prior to, during and after the accident in regards to the people, equipment and surroundings involved in the accident. Information entered into the table should be concise and bulleted. Additional rows should be added if more than one IPP, agent or object were involved. When the investigation has been exhausted, the investigator should analyze the accident by time frames (pre-accident, accident and post-accident) and by IPP, agent, object and environment categories to determine causes and severity factors of the accident. Results are noted in the appropriate column or row. These can then be used to complete the investigative report of accident.
SECTION 1 – Definitions
Accident Phase: the period of time between the first harmful event seen as causing the accident and the point of stabilization. This is often the period of intensive energy release and typically lasts only a few seconds (example: the point of impact between two vehicles) Agent: any living thing (such as another employee) that was directly or indirectly involved in the accident Causal (contributing) Factor: a behavior, attribute, or condition in the pre-event stage that, if removed or altered, may have stopped or prohibited the accident from occurring Environment: physical conditions (examples: air temperature, noise level, light level, time of day, cleanliness) and social / organizational climate (moods, leadership styles, stress levels, etc.) Involved party or property (IPP): the person(s) injured and/or property damaged in the accident Normalization: point in time when the accident scene has been restored to safe and normal operation Object: any non-living thing (other than the IPP) that may have contributed to the accident (floor, boxes, PPE, etc.) Post-Accident Phase: the period beginning at stabilization and lasting through normalization. Pre-Accident Phase: all time prior to the accident during which contributing factors to the accident could have evolved. This period can begin hours, months, even years before the accident took place Severity Factor: a behavior, attribute, or condition in the pre-event, event, or post-event phase that influences, or directly affects, the severity of the accident or injury Stabilization: the point after the accident where all the harmful energy has been released and the scene comes to rest

SECTION 2 – Accident Analysis Matrix
Note: An example of a completed accident analysis matrix can be found in the VDOF portal of the State Learning Management System by searching DOF Accident Investigation.
Pre-Accident	Accident Phase	Post-Accident Phase	Summary of Causes and Severity Factors
Involved Party or Property (IPP)
Agent
Object
Environment
Summary of Causes and Severity Factors