Incident Investigation Practical Guide

A practical training guide in four modules that takes an investigator through the whole job: why incidents are investigated, what to do first, how to gather evidence and interview witnesses, how to analyse what happened, and how to find the root cause rather than the nearest person to blame.

What is inside

Module 1, Foundations — why we investigate, major incidents in history, what employers and employees must do, what to investigate, the role of culture and the investigation process.

Module 2, Preparing and gathering evidence — investigation policy and procedure, immediate action, who should investigate, planning, an investigation checklist and collecting evidence.

Module 3, Interviewing, analysing and reporting — interviews, witnesses, recording statements, organising and analysing information, writing the report and its conclusions.

Module 4, Root-cause analysis techniques — the 5 Whys, the cause and effect (fishbone) diagram, fault tree analysis, event tree analysis and the Systematic Cause Analysis Technique (SCAT).

One PDF in widescreen slide format.

Who it is for

HSE officers and managers, supervisors, safety committee members and anyone asked to lead or join an incident or near-miss investigation.

How to use it

Work through the modules in order the first time. Afterwards keep Module 2 to hand for the first hours after an incident, and Module 4 when you sit down to analyse causes. The slides also work as a ready-made toolbox or classroom session for supervisors.

This is general training material. It does not replace the codes, standards and regulations that apply to your site, a competent person's design, or your own risk assessment. Reporting duties and time limits differ by country and authority: check the ones that apply to you.