Safety, Ethics, and Case Management
Safety
Investigator safety comes first. Apply risk-management principles: assess structural stability, electrical hazards, HAZMAT, confined spaces, and atmospheric conditions before entry. Wear appropriate PPE - helmet, boots, gloves, eye protection, respiratory protection (SCBA or P100 as indicated), and hearing protection. Designate a safety officer, use a buddy system, and maintain communications. Decontaminate and dispose of PPE properly, and document hazards encountered and actions taken.
Ethics and case management
Avoid conflicts of interest, decline work outside your competence, disclose bias, and stay objective. The investigator's job is to determine the truth, not to support a client's theory. Manage the case file: retain all notes, photographs, lab reports, and correspondence; preserve originals; use consistent naming; keep a decision log. Guard against confirmation bias, groupthink, and anchoring - use the question "what would change my mind?" as a routine check.
TRAP: Selecting a cause to satisfy an insurer's or client's expectation, or skipping safety precautions to preserve evidence.
RULE OF THUMB: If you would be uncomfortable explaining the decision to a court, a peer, and a victim's family, do not make it.