Find out what happened, and make sure it doesn't happen again
Safety Assistance helps UK businesses investigate workplace accidents and incidents properly, identify root causes, and put practical improvements in place to prevent reoccurence.
Why a proper investigation matters
When something goes wrong at work, understanding why it happened is more valuable than simply recording that it did. A thorough investigation looks beyond the immediate cause the thing that directly triggered the event to find the underlying and root causes that allowed it to happen in the first place. That is what gives a business the information it needs to make changes that actually reduce risk.
This applies across the full range of workplace events: accidents that result in injury, near misses that could have been much worse, dangerous occurrences, and cases of work-related ill health. All of them carry lessons worth finding.
The law expects employers to investigate incidents and, in certain circumstances, to report them to the relevant enforcing authority. Keeping a clear record of what happened, what was found and what was done about it is an important part of demonstrating that you take safety seriously.
A structured investigation is not about blame. It is about understanding what happened so you can prevent it happening again.
What our investigation service includes
- Initial scene and evidence review to preserve key information
- Structured witness interviews with those involved and observers
- Timeline and sequence-of-events analysis
- Root cause analysis using multiple methodologies including 5 Whys and fishbone techniques
- Written investigation report with clear findings, produced using the Safety Mate investigation process
- Recommended corrective and preventive actions
- Support implementing those actions within your business
- Liaison with the HSE or other enforcing authorities where required
- Support during regulatory investigations or interviews
How we work through an investigation
1. Initial contact and briefing
You contact us and we discuss what has happened, agree the scope of the investigation and confirm next steps. We aim to be in a position to mobilise within 48 hours of instruction.
2. Evidence gathering
We carry out a site visit where appropriate, take photographs, review relevant documents and examine equipment records. Preserving evidence early is critical to a reliable investigation.
3. Interviews
We conduct structured conversations with those directly involved and any witnesses. Our approach is methodical and impartial, focused on understanding events rather than attributing blame.
4. Analysis
We identify the immediate, underlying and root causes using recognised root cause analysis techniques. Where a single incident has multiple contributing factors, we work through each one.
5. Report and recommendations
We produce a written investigation report setting out our findings and practical corrective and preventive actions. Reports follow the Safety Mate investigation process format, giving you a clear and consistent record.
6. Follow-up and support
We can support you in implementing the recommended actions and, where required, liaise with the HSE or other enforcing authorities on your behalf.
Independent, qualified investigators
Our investigations are led by qualified health and safety professionals. Our founder, Stephen Shields, holds the NEBOSH Diploma and is a Chartered Member of IOSH (CMIOSH). Our wider team are Members of IOSH, and advisors hold relevant safety qualifications and experience in the fields they are assigned to.
We provide nationwide coverage, so wherever your business operates in the UK, we can support you.
One of the practical advantages of bringing in an external investigator is objectivity. An independent review is less likely to be influenced consciously or otherwise by internal relationships or pressures. It can also help demonstrate to regulators, insurers and clients that the matter was handled thoroughly and professionally. We make no claims about specific regulatory or insurance outcomes, but a well-documented, independent investigation is a sound foundation for any subsequent process.
If an investigation is already under way internally, we can step in to support or supplement that work rather than starting from scratch.
Common questions about incident investigation
When should we bring in an external investigator?
It is worth considering external support whenever an incident is serious, complex or sensitive for example, where there has been a significant injury, a near miss with serious potential, a fatality, or where internal resource or expertise is limited. An external investigator can also be useful where objectivity is important, such as when the incident involves a manager or a long-standing process. You do not need to wait for a major event; we can also help you investigate near misses and dangerous occurrences before something more serious occurs.
Do we have to report this incident to the HSE?
Under RIDDOR 2013 (the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations), employers are required to report certain categories of workplace incident to the HSE or relevant enforcing authority. These include fatalities, specified injuries to workers, injuries to non-workers requiring hospital treatment, over-seven-day incapacitation injuries, certain occupational diseases and specified dangerous occurrences. The exact categories and thresholds are set out in the regulations and HSE guidance. If you are unsure whether your incident is reportable, speak to us and we can help you work through it.
How quickly can you start?
We aim to mobilise within 48 hours of instruction. We also offer extended support hours where required, and an out-of-hours emergency contact number is available to clients. If you need to discuss an urgent situation outside normal office hours, contact us and we will do our best to help.
Can you help if an investigation is already under way?
Yes. We can step in at any stage whether that means reviewing work already done, conducting additional interviews, providing a second opinion on findings, or helping you prepare for engagement with an enforcing authority. We will work with what you already have rather than duplicating effort unnecessarily.
How does Safety Mate® help with ongoing incident management?
Safety Mate® is our health and safety management platform. It includes mobile incident and near-miss reporting, corrective action assignment and tracking, document storage and management visibility across sites. Once an investigation is complete, Safety Mate® helps ensure the recommended actions are assigned, monitored and closed out rather than sitting in a report that nobody revisits. It also builds an audit trail of safety activity over time, which is useful for demonstrating performance to regulators, clients or insurers.
Manage incidents day-to-day with Safety Mate®
A good investigation report is only useful if the actions it recommends actually get done. Safety Mate® is our health and safety management platform, and it is designed to make sure that happens.
With Safety Mate®, workers and managers can report incidents and near misses directly from their phone, wherever they are on site. Corrective actions can be assigned to named individuals, tracked through to completion and escalated if they are overdue. All records are stored in one place, giving managers and directors visibility across multiple sites or projects.
The platform follows the Safety Mate® investigation process, so your investigation records are structured, consistent and easy to retrieve if they are ever needed by a regulator, insurer or client. It also stores safety documents, briefings and signatures, so you can demonstrate that lessons learned have been communicated to the people who need to know.
Safety Mate® turns a one-off investigation into the start of a continuous improvement process not just a report that sits in a drawer.
- Mobile incident and near-miss reporting from any device
- Corrective action assignment, tracking and escalation
- Investigation records following a structured process
- Document storage with audit trail of signatures and approvals
- Management visibility across sites and projects
- COSHH records, equipment checks and training records in one system
Related services
Audits & Inspections
Structured health and safety audits to identify gaps and improve your management systems.
Risk Assessments
Thorough risk assessments to identify hazards and put the right controls in place.
Health & Safety Management
Ongoing consultancy support to help you manage health and safety across your business.
COSHH Assessments
Assessment of hazardous substances and practical guidance on controlling exposure.
Construction & CDM
Health and safety support for construction projects, including CDM advisory services.
Need help with an investigation?
Whether you need support right now or want to be better prepared, talk to us – we are here to help you handle it properly.