Making mistakes is part of humanity. Some live by doing things by trial-and-error, others sometimes simply don't have their day when a mistake is made. Very often mistakes result in delays, extra cost or discomfort. But it can also lead to (permanent) injuries or even death.
Making mistakes can often be prevented. But sometimes even preventative measures turn out not to be enough to stop things from happening. Industry leaders distinguish themselves in the follow-up of these events by rather conducting a thorough investigation than going on a witch-hunt. They will have the incident investigated with the intention to identify the cause and determine the risk. They will study the final report, develop control measures and implement whatever it takes that will prevent such incident from happening again. They also add their conclusions to a comprehensive database with previous investigations and use the knowledge to contribute to the company's operations.
A proper investigation will not only result in preventing future loss of money, production time or even life. It will also communicate the message to employees that they are valued and that the company cares. It is common knowledge that when employees feel accepted and appreciated they are less likely to make mistakes. In return, this reduces the need for investigations and (expensive) interventions.
It is impossible to prevent incidents from happening. But it is possible to prevent it from happening again!
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