Free Incident Investigation Checklist

🔍 ICAM Incident Investigation Checklist

25 Essential Steps for Thorough Root Cause Analysis

1 Initial Response (First 30 Minutes)

Secure the scene — Prevent further harm and preserve evidence

Ensure medical attention — Confirm all injured persons are receiving care

Notify relevant parties — Supervisors, safety team, management as required

Document initial conditions — Photos, videos, sketches before anything changes

Identify witnesses — List everyone present before memories fade

💡 Pro Tip:

Take photos from multiple angles and distances. What seems obvious now may be crucial later.

2 Evidence Collection

Collect physical evidence — Equipment, materials, PPE, environmental samples

Gather documentation — Work orders, procedures, training records, maintenance logs

Review CCTV/recordings — Security cameras, dashcams, wearable devices

Download equipment data — Black boxes, telemetry, sensor logs

Map the scene — Create detailed diagram with measurements

3 Witness Interviews

Interview separately — Prevent influence between witnesses

Use open questions — "Tell me what happened" not "Did X cause this?"

Document verbatim quotes — Exact words matter for accuracy

Explore the timeline — Build minute-by-minute sequence of events

Ask about "normal" operations — Understand if this was typical or different

💡 Pro Tip:

Never ask "Why did you...?" — it triggers defensiveness. Ask "What was happening when...?" instead.

4 ICAM Analysis

Identify Absent/Failed Defences — What barriers should have prevented harm?

List Individual/Team Actions — Actions and decisions (without blame)

Identify Task/Environmental Conditions — Context that shaped decisions

Uncover Organisational Factors — Systems, culture, resources that contributed

Apply the 5 Whys technique — Dig deeper on each contributing factor

5 Corrective Actions & Close-out

Develop SMART actions — Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound

Use the hierarchy of controls — Elimination > Substitution > Engineering > Admin > PPE

Assign clear ownership — One person accountable per action item

Share learnings widely — Safety alerts, toolbox talks, cross-site communication

Verify effectiveness — Follow up to confirm actions prevent recurrence

💡 Pro Tip:

60% of incidents have organizational root causes. If all your actions are "retraining," dig deeper.

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Incident Investigation Checklist

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🔍 ICAM Incident Investigation Checklist

1 Initial Response (First 30 Minutes)

2 Evidence Collection

3 Witness Interviews

4 ICAM Analysis

5 Corrective Actions & Close-out

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