Capturing lessons learnt from an accident investigation to improve the management of geological hazards in construction

Abstract

The paper presents a case study of the capturing of experience from an accident involving rock slide during the rehabilitation of a 22-km road segment. It builds on results from the accident investigation and a follow-up audit one year after the accident and on interviews with personnel in the Client Company on the use of the experiences in future projects. Data are analysed in relation to a model for evaluation of interventions. It is concluded that the involved parties in the project had the ability to capture lessons learnt and coordinate their efforts to complete the rehabilitation work in a safe and controlled way. The assessment of the Client Compa-ny’s ability to capture the knowledge for transfer to new projects showed more varying results. Different con-straints to an efficient experience transfer to new projects were identified. These included limited personnel overlap between the project and the basis organisation in the Company and a document structure representing the Company’s experience carriers to future projects that was not fully suited to capture the complexity of the solution.