Free ICAM incident investigation checklist

Initial response, first 30 minutes

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Secure the scenePrevent further harm and preserve evidence. Ensure medical attentionConfirm all injured persons are receiving care. Notify relevant partiesSupervisors, the safety team and management, as required. Document initial conditionsPhotos, videos and sketches before anything changes. Identify witnessesList everyone present before memories fade.

Evidence collection

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Collect physical evidenceEquipment, materials, PPE, environmental samples. Gather documentationWork orders, procedures, training records, maintenance logs. Review CCTV and recordingsSecurity cameras, dashcams, wearable devices. Download equipment dataBlack boxes, telemetry, sensor logs. Map the sceneA detailed diagram with measurements.

Witness interviews

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Interview separatelyPrevent influence between witnesses. Use open questions“Tell me what happened”, not “Did X cause this?” Document verbatim quotesExact words matter for accuracy. Explore the timelineBuild a minute-by-minute sequence of events. Ask about normal operationsUnderstand whether this was typical or different.

ICAM analysis

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Identify absent or failed defencesWhat barriers should have prevented harm? List individual or team actionsActions and decisions, without blame. Identify task or environmental conditionsThe context that shaped decisions. Uncover organisational factorsSystems, culture and resources that contributed. Apply the 5 Whys techniqueDig deeper on each contributing factor.

Corrective actions and close-out

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Develop SMART actionsSpecific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound. Use the hierarchy of controlsElimination, then substitution, engineering, administrative, PPE. Assign clear ownershipOne person accountable per action item. Share learnings widelySafety alerts, toolbox talks, cross-site communication. Verify effectivenessFollow up to confirm the actions prevent recurrence.

The 25-point ICAM checklist.

Initial response, first 30 minutes

Evidence collection

Witness interviews

ICAM analysis

Corrective actions and close-out