We include at least one accident profile at the end of each module. You may include an additional case study at the end of the section if you would like to highlight another important safety principle, but typically, each module will only have one. Your case study will be followed by your conclusion (or "what went wrong.")

It can be helpful to perform a simple "5 W's" exercise before writing a case study. Gathering all this information before you begin writing can do a lot for making the case study as clear and straightforward as possible. If you feel uncertain about the answer to any of the 5 W's, invent the answer yourself to fill in the blanks, or simply choose another case study to base your accident around.

What is the point of a case study?

To illustrate the pitfalls of using unsafe work practices on the job.
To highlight the most common hazards associated with a certain work task.
To help the end-user think critically about how safe operation principles apply to their workplace.

Case Study Requirements

Refer to the victim(s) as Employee #1, Employee #2, etc. inside the training PowerPoints and as a regular first name inside Toolbox Talks. Because "Employee #1" is being used as a proper noun, it should always be capitalized.
All aspects of the Content & Style Guide still apply.
- - This includes expressing numbers appropriately and using metric equivalents in parentheses.

Case Study Guidelines

Illustrate common hazards, not freak accidents.

Because we want our case studies to demonstrate what can go wrong if safety principles are not followed, you should be able to clearly state what Employee #1 should have done differently to prevent the negative outcome. If Employee #1 did everything correctly, it is not a good illustrative case study.
- - For example, a case study where Employee #1 performed an atmospheric test on a confined space with a gas detector he had checked and knew to function properly, but then somehow died from carbon monoxide poisoning, would not be a beneficial case study to include.

Only provide relevant details.

Avoid drama and extraneous details in case studies. Irrelevant details confuse the end-user and distract from the true main hazard. They also provide more room for error on our part, since we are not complete experts on our subject. Overly dramatic case studies verge on comical, which can prevent the end-user from connecting with the case study and applying it to themselves.
- - The fact that it was a windy day would be relevant in a case study where an aerial lift tips over. It would not be relevant in a case study about sexual harassment.
  - Keep in mind that the caution to only provide relevant details doesn't mean that no extra details can be included. We still want to "set the scene" and clearly show how Point A (Employee #1 working) led to Point C (Employee #1 becoming injured).

Leave clues about what went wrong.

After you have chosen the topic for your case study, you will need to present the story in a way that allows the reader to do some interpreting of their own. We don't want to tell them right from the beginning exactly "what went wrong." We should just provide enough information to allow them to make the logical connections themselves. This balance can be difficult to get just right, and it will definitely take some practice! Don't be discouraged if your case studies need to be rewritten a few times.
- - For example, if you were writing a case study about poor anchorage points, you would not want to say in the case study, "Employee #1 was lazy and decided to skip his preshift inspection. Later, as he was working, the damaged anchorage point he was connected to failed, causing him to fall 60 feet and die." This case study leaves no room for interpretation. We have already told the end-user exactly why Employee #1 was injured.

Do not introduce new information in the conclusion slides.

The end-user will not be able to follow our "breadcrumbs" if our trail leads to something they have not learned about yet. The safety principle from your case study should be directly related to the main safety principles discussed in that section.
- - If your module is about choosing the correct type of sling, it would be expected that the neglected safety principle was an incorrectly chosen sling. If the actual conclusion given centered around stability and crane tip-over, it would not be a beneficial case study to include.

Case Studies