Former Managing Director of the United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Mr Dennis Jones, has called on safety investigation agencies—especially in Africa—to institutionalise mental health protocols for investigators exposed to traumatic accident scenes.
Jones made the appeal while speaking at the Multimodal Transportation Stakeholders’ Workshop organised by the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) in Abuja. He recounted the emotional toll that crash investigations can have on professionals, warning that failure to support affected personnel could undermine both their wellbeing and the quality of their work.
“I’ve seen many walk away after one assignment,” he said. “When they step onto the scene and witness the human cost, some never return.”
Jones explained that at the NTSB, it is standard practice to deploy psychologists alongside investigation teams. These mental health professionals assess team members—particularly those new to the job—and offer immediate support as necessary.
“Sometimes, just a few hours away from the scene or a brief session with a psychologist helps investigators process what they’re experiencing,” he said.
He described the psychological strain of working among fatalities and grieving families as intense, noting that many investigators develop long-term effects such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) if left unsupported.
“This has nothing to do with being tough,” Jones stressed. “If we ignore these human responses, we risk both the health of our investigators and the integrity of our investigations.”
He warned that trauma-affected investigators might overlook critical evidence or prematurely exit the profession—outcomes that would negatively impact transportation safety.
Jones urged the NSIB and other African investigative bodies to embed trauma support into their operational frameworks, especially as they expand investigations across air, rail, road, and marine sectors.
“You cannot expect sustainable results from people carrying invisible wounds. Support systems must be part of the structure,” he said.
The NSIB workshop, which gathered stakeholders from across the transport and public safety sectors, focused on advancing safety standards through inter-agency collaboration. Jones’ remarks underscored the need for not just technical capacity, but also emotional resilience in achieving safer transportation systems.
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