Incident investigations are increasingly getting embedded in the safety management systems. Incidents are caused by a complex mix of human error and systemic failures. The idea to carry out incident investigations is to
bring about a clear picture of the adverse effects of the incidents and what should be done as an immediate
remedial measure, Plan and implement appropriate corrective and preventive actions, verification of the
effectiveness of the corrective and preventive actions in order to minimize / eliminate occurrences of similar
incidents in future.
This article provides a non-mandatory direction to seek and improve incident investigation processes. While the
elements of this article may have universal applicability, it is important to consider compliance to local laws and
regulations. The article is useful for the investigator to understand the investigation process which can bring about
the root cause of incidents, present a clear and precise overview of major failures, arrive at conclusions by a
stepwise process visualizing the factors involved in the happening of the incidents and understand incident costs.
