BY OLAPEJU OLUBI
In realization of the accompanying trauma for accident investigators, a former Managing Director of the United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Mr. Dennis Jones, has called on safety investigation agencies to embed formal mental health support into their operational frameworks to help probe experts manage crash site mental torture.
Speaking at the Multimodal Transportation Stakeholders’ Workshop organised by the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) in Abuja, Jones shared how emotionally challenging fatal accident scenes can be for investigative personnel, particularly those with little prior exposure.
“I’ve seen many walk away after one assignment. “When they step onto the scene and witness the human cost, some never return”, he said.
Jones revealed that at the NTSB, psychologists routinely accompany investigative teams to monitor the well-being of staff and offer immediate intervention when needed.
“Sometimes just a few hours away from the scene or a session with a professional can help investigators process what they’re experiencing,” he explained.
He emphasised that the psychological toll of working amid fatalities and grieving families can be intense, especially for first-time investigators, and could lead to long-term conditions such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) if left unaddressed.
“This has nothing to do with being tough. “If we ignore these human responses, we risk both the health of our investigators and the integrity of our investigations”, Jones warned.
He noted that emotionally affected investigators might overlook critical evidence or abandon the profession altogether, undermining long-term transport safety goals.
Jones urged the NSIB and its counterparts across Africa to integrate trauma management programmes into their structures as they expand air, rail, road, and marine investigations.
“You cannot expect sustainable results from people carrying invisible wounds. Support systems must be part of the structure,” he said.
The NSIB’s Multimodal Transportation Stakeholders’ Workshop, which attracted participants from across the transportation and public safety sectors, focused on improving safety standards through collaboration.
Jones’ intervention highlighted the need for agencies to value emotional resilience alongside technical expertise in safety investigations.
