hearsay information. Any abnormal conditions
such as fractured components, broken parts,
friction effects, scratches and structural changes
may lead to firm evidence as to how and why the
incident took place.
Evidence can be obtained from either physical
evidence, documentation evidence or information
gathered from witness statements. All facts and
evidence should be recorded via photographs,
notes, sketches, or witness testimonies.
Determining appropriate evidence will be useful
and may add credence to the investigation
process and support the facts of the incident.
Some guidance on extracting the facts behind
an incident will be further elaborated later in the
article.
Barricade Area of Incident to Avoid Tempering of
Evidences
Chronology establishment
A good investigation process should establish a
logical chronology. Incidents do not happen all of
a sudden without any timeline. There should be
some historic sequence of events that led to the
adverse mishap. The chronology of an incident
can be established by reviewing maintenance
records and other documents such as operator
daily checklists, etc. Interviewing witnesses, the
victim’s colleagues and his/her supervisor are also
essential. Once a clear chronology is established,
it will help investigators gather necessary evidence
based on the sequence of events throughout the
investigation process.
Fact-finding and Documentation
Individual investigators or teams should be aware
of any abnormalities at the incident site or its
aftermath. Apart from that, good observation skills
will help to establish factual information. When
seeking the facts of the case, investigators should
master the techniques of fact-finding based on
the evidence that exists at the scene and not from
Prior to Leaving the Site
Some complex cases require a series of follow-
up investigations. If there is any need to carry out
further investigations, the scene must be secured
from any possible changes. Disturbance of the
scene must be avoided by restricting access.
Proper barricades must be erected around the
perimeter of the incident site and prohibition
signages put up. Investigators must make sure
that no more information can be collected from
the scene before it is released for rectification
work. When the investigator releases the incident
site, he must make sure the place is safe, before
any rectification work can be carried out.
EXTRACTION OF FACTS FROM THE PLACE
OF INCIDENT
Tagging and Labelling of Evidence
Before any photos are captured or evidence
retrieved from the site, the objects must be tagged
or labelled. Tagging and labelling are important
to add credibility to facts and ensure they can
easily be identified for future reference. With
this technique, investigators can systematically
organise the facts of the case.
Photography
Photography is the most common technique for
documenting facts at the site of an incident.
Adequate knowledge of basic photography
techniques such as depth of field, light control
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