Accident and incident investigation training teaches managers, supervisors and safety professionals how to gather evidence, interview witnesses, find the root causes of an accident or near miss and turn the findings into actions that stop it happening again. It sits alongside RIDDOR training, which covers what must legally be reported to the HSE, and near miss reporting training, which builds the reporting culture that investigations depend on.
Compare courses below, from short online awareness training to the NEBOSH HSE qualification and IIRSM-approved programmes for lead investigators.
Accident and incident investigation courses
Listed from awareness level through to advanced practitioner.
Accident Investigation
Awareness level
For safety advisers, representatives, managers and supervisors responsible for analysing workplace accidents and putting measures in place to prevent recurrence.
Incident Investigation
Awareness level · BS 45002-3 and HSG245
Structured incident investigation training based on recognised guidance including BS 45002-3 and HSE’s HSG245, covering evidence gathering, analysis and reporting.
NEBOSH HSE Introduction to Incident Investigation
1 day · NEBOSH and HSE
A qualification developed jointly by NEBOSH and the HSE that shows how non-complex workplace incidents can be investigated effectively.
Lead Accident Investigator
Advanced level
For those leading structured investigations. Covers evidence collection, witness interviews, root cause analysis and writing effective investigation reports.
Certified Accident and Incident Investigator Advanced Practitioner (CAIIAP)
Advanced practitioner
Advanced training designed to raise investigation standards and consistency across an organisation. For experienced investigators seeking formal certification.
RIDDOR and near miss reporting courses
Reporting is where investigation starts. These courses cover the legal reporting duty and how to get near misses reported at all.
RIDDOR Training
Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013
What must be reported under RIDDOR, who must report it, the deadlines and how to submit a report correctly. Awareness level, delivered online.
Near Miss Reporting
Awareness level · online
Why near miss reporting matters, how to encourage people to report and how to use near miss data to control risks before injuries occur.
Managing Near Miss Reporting for Effective Learning
Management level
CPD-certified training for line managers. Covers capturing near miss reports, analysing human factors and building a workplace culture that learns from incidents.
Which course do I need?
| If you need to… | Usual route |
|---|---|
| Understand how accidents are investigated, as a supervisor or safety representative | Accident Investigation or Incident Investigation |
| Investigate non-complex incidents and hold a recognised qualification | NEBOSH HSE Introduction to Incident Investigation |
| Lead investigations, interview witnesses and write the report | Lead Accident Investigator |
| Set investigation standards across an organisation | CAIIAP Advanced Practitioner |
| Know what to report to the HSE, and when | RIDDOR Training |
| Get the workforce reporting near misses | Near Miss Reporting |
| Run a near miss system and learn from the data as a manager | Managing Near Miss Reporting for Effective Learning |
RIDDOR reporting at a glance
Under RIDDOR 2013 the duty to report sits with the “responsible person”, usually the employer, a self-employed person or whoever controls the premises. Failing to report is a criminal offence.
| What happened | Report deadline |
|---|---|
| Work-related death or specified injury (for example a fracture other than to fingers, thumbs or toes, an amputation or a serious burn) | Notify without delay; report within 10 days |
| Worker unable to do their normal work for more than seven consecutive days (not counting the day of the accident) | Within 15 days of the accident |
| Member of the public taken directly from the scene to hospital for treatment | Notify without delay; report within 10 days |
| Specified dangerous occurrence, such as the collapse of lifting equipment | Notify without delay; report within 10 days |
| Reportable occupational disease | As soon as the diagnosis is received |
Records of reportable incidents must be kept for at least three years. Injuries causing more than three days of incapacity must be recorded, even though they are not reportable. Read more in our incidents and reporting guidance.
Why investigation training matters
Find root causes, not culprits
Trained investigators look past the immediate cause to the management, system and behavioural failures behind it.
Prevent recurrence
Good investigations end in specific actions with owners and dates, and feed back into the risk assessment.
Meet RIDDOR duties
Those responsible know what is reportable, who reports it and the deadline for each type of incident.
Build a reporting culture
Near miss training encourages people to report without fear of blame, giving the data needed to act before someone is hurt.
Show due diligence
Documented training and investigation records are evidence of competence for HSE inspectors, insurers and in civil claims.
Who should attend
Accident investigation and RIDDOR FAQs
What is the difference between an accident, an incident and a near miss?
HSE guidance (HSG245) uses adverse event as the umbrella term. An accident is an event that results in injury or ill health. An incident is either a near miss, an event that caused no harm but had the potential to, or an undesired circumstance, a set of conditions that could cause harm. In everyday use, and in ISO 45001, incident is often used more broadly to include accidents as well. All are worth investigating: near misses share their causes with accidents, so they show where controls are failing before anyone is hurt.
What must be reported under RIDDOR?
Under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013, the responsible person (usually the employer, a self-employed person or whoever controls the premises) must report work-related deaths, specified injuries such as fractures other than to fingers, thumbs and toes, amputations and serious burns, injuries that keep a worker off normal duties for more than seven consecutive days, diagnosed occupational diseases, specified dangerous occurrences, and injuries to non-workers who are taken directly from the scene to hospital for treatment. See the RIDDOR training course.
How quickly does a RIDDOR report have to be made?
Deaths and specified injuries must be notified without delay, with the report submitted within 10 days of the incident. Over-seven-day injuries must be reported within 15 days of the accident. Occupational diseases are reported as soon as a diagnosis is received. Records of reportable incidents must be kept for at least three years, and injuries causing more than three days of incapacity must be recorded even though they are not reportable.
Is accident investigation training a legal requirement?
No law requires a specific accident investigation qualification. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require employers to monitor and review their health and safety arrangements and to review risk assessments when there is reason to think they are no longer valid, which an accident or near miss provides. The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 requires employers to give employees the training they need. Investigation training is how most employers show that the people carrying out those reviews are competent.
Who should carry out a workplace accident investigation?
HSE guidance in HSG245 recommends that investigations involve both management and employees, with the level of investigation matched to the potential consequences of the event and the likelihood of it happening again. A supervisor or line manager may lead for minor incidents. Serious accidents and high-potential near misses call for a trained lead investigator or health and safety professional with the authority to act on the findings. The Lead Accident Investigator course is designed for that role.
What is root cause analysis in accident investigation?
Root cause analysis looks past the immediate cause of an incident to the underlying and root causes: the management, system and organisational failures that allowed it to happen. Common techniques include the 5 Whys, fishbone (Ishikawa) diagrams and fault tree analysis. Fixing root causes prevents recurrence, where fixing only the immediate cause usually does not.
Which accident investigation course should I choose?
Choose by role. Awareness-level accident or incident investigation courses suit supervisors and safety representatives. The one-day NEBOSH HSE Introduction to Incident Investigation is a recognised qualification for those who investigate non-complex incidents. Lead Accident Investigator and the CAIIAP Advanced Practitioner programme are for people who lead investigations. RIDDOR and near miss reporting courses suit anyone responsible for reporting procedures.
Can accident investigation training be delivered on-site?
Yes. Many accident and incident investigation courses can be delivered at your premises for a group, which allows the training to use your own procedures, industry and incident history. See on-site training for groups.