This week, Clare Richardson CMIOSH and Dr Alan Scobbie CMIOSH delivered a two-day Accident & Incident Investigation training course for the SCS Railways team in London.

We are fortunate to have Alan as an Associate within the Gateway HSW team. He brings a wealth of experience from both the HSE and his work on HS2, providing valuable insight that supports SCSJV’s commitment to maximising learning from incident investigations.

Effective investigations begin long before the final report is written. The process starts with the immediate response to an event, ensuring that people, assets and evidence are protected.

Key elements of the investigation process include:
✅ Identifying, preserving and collating evidence
✅ Gathering witness statements and relevant information
✅ Conducting effective interviews to establish the facts
✅ Facilitating structured event reviews with key stakeholders
✅ Analysing evidence to identify immediate, underlying and root causes
✅ Considering the influence of human factors and organisational conditions
✅ Developing meaningful recommendations to prevent recurrence
✅ Preparing clear and comprehensive investigation reports

The objective is not to assign blame. It is to understand what happened, why it happened, and what can be improved.

By focusing on evidence-based analysis and organisational learning, investigations become a powerful tool for strengthening systems, improving safety performance and supporting a culture of continuous improvement.
Every incident presents an opportunity to learn. The value lies in how effectively we investigate, share and act upon those lessons.

The course received excellent feedback, including:
⭐ “Great course with important information, well delivered.”
⭐ “Putting the more in-depth knowledge into practice, understanding the timeline process and gaining a better appreciation of bias.”

Thank you to everyone who participated and contributed to some excellent discussions and practical exercises.