A method of investigation by labour inspectors (MILI) – design and preliminary evaluation Panagiota Katsakiori DEA, Emmanuel Manatakis PhD, Stavros Goutsos PhD, and George Athanassiou PhD, University of Patras, Greece Abstract This paper proposes a structured method for carrying out incident investigations. The method starts with active failures, then searches for immediate and underlying root factors, and then finds root and legal factors. The method was developed on a theoretical basis and has been evaluated by labour inspectors in Greece in terms of its construct validity, inter- rater reliability and accuracy of its attributes. The first results from the evaluation are encouraging, and the response to it as an investigation technique has been positive. The method could constitute an important step for the exchange of experiences between inspectorates in EU member countries, and assist the systematic evaluation of the incident investigation process. Key words Labour inspectors, incident investigation method, validation Introduction Labour inspection is one of the most important institutions related to employees’ welfare. 1 The fundamental role of labour inspectors is to ensure the protection of workers, improve working conditions, and promote legislation adapted to the changing needs in the workplace. 2 To respond to major changes in the world of work such as the increasing globalisation of manufacturing and service provision, 3 as well as the rise in jobs in the service sector, labour inspectorates need to be more flexible, to direct resources to new challenges, and be clear about their priorities in how to make the greatest impact on health and safety performance in the workplace. 4 A major remit for labour inspectors is to encourage legal compliance among duty holders. This is mainly achieved through advice and enforcement – a mix of inspection, investigation, administrative enforcement action and prosecution. 5 ‘Proactive enforcement’ involves labour inspectors going out and seeking offences, whereas ‘reactive enforcement’ is when labour inspectors’ are prompted by an outside person or event, typically a complaint or an incident report, to carry out an investigation. 6 The objectives of incident investigation include: • collecting facts • discovering primary and underlying causes • preventing a similar incident from happening in the future • finding any breaches of law • making recommendations • deciding on information dissemination. 7 In Greece, labour inspectors carry out workplace inspections to: 8 Policy and Practice in Health and Safety 07.1 2009 © IOSH Services Limited