Incident Investigation and Root Cause Analysis

Overview

Every incident, from a minor injury to a major process release, contains information that can prevent the next one, but only if it is investigated properly. Too many investigations stop at the first obvious cause, blame individuals, and produce recommendations that change nothing. This course teaches a structured approach that finds the real causes and leads to lasting improvement. Participants learn how to respond in the first hours after an incident, secure evidence, interview witnesses fairly and build an accurate timeline. They then apply recognised root cause analysis methods, including 5 Whys, fishbone diagrams, barrier analysis and causal tree techniques, and examine the human and organisational factors behind errors. The final part covers writing clear reports, developing effective corrective actions, tracking them to completion and sharing lessons across the organisation.

Objectives

• Classify incidents and decide the appropriate level of investigation
• Secure the scene and collect physical, documentary and witness evidence
• Conduct effective and fair witness interviews
• Build an accurate sequence of events
• Apply root cause analysis methods including barrier analysis and causal trees
• Identify human and organisational contributing factors
• Write clear investigation reports with effective corrective actions
• Track actions and share lessons learned across the organisation

Who should attend

Training methodology

Participants learn by investigating. After short explanations of each step, teams work on a realistic simulated incident, receiving evidence packages, photographs and witness statements in stages as a real team would. They conduct role-played interviews, build timelines and apply several root cause methods to the same event to compare their strengths. The instructor challenges conclusions and recommendations as a senior manager would. Teams present their findings on the final day, followed by an individual assessment.

Programme outline

Dates and fees

Fees are in GBP. per delegate.

Certificate

Frequently asked questions