& 
Accident Investigation eLearning
Online accident investigation training that takes staff past "who did it" to the conditions that let it happen, and to a report someone can actually act on.
Who it is for
Who this accident investigation course is for
Most workplace investigations are carried out by a supervisor or manager with no formal training in it, under pressure, the day after something went wrong. This course gives them a method rather than an instinct.
- Supervisors and line managers who investigate incidents
- Health and safety representatives and committee members
- Site managers and foremen
- HR and facilities staff involved in incident follow-up
- Anyone responsible for RIDDOR reporting decisions
- Directors who read investigation reports and act on them
Course content
What the accident investigation course covers
Six short modules covering why we investigate, how to do it in a structured way, and what happens to the findings afterwards.
Why investigate
What investigation is for, and why near-misses are worth the same attention as injuries.
The legal and reporting position
Where the duty to investigate comes from, and which incidents have to be reported to the enforcing authority.
Getting started
Making the scene safe, preserving evidence, and planning the investigation before you begin.
Gathering the facts
Physical evidence, documents and interviews. Asking questions that get an account rather than a defence.
Finding the causes
Immediate causes, underlying causes and root causes. Why stopping at the first one changes nothing.
Reporting and acting
Writing findings that lead to controls, and closing the loop so the same thing does not recur.
Outcomes
What you will be able to do afterwards
- Decide what needs investigating, and how deeply
- Secure a scene and preserve evidence before it disappears
- Interview people involved without leading or blaming them
- Separate immediate causes from underlying and root causes
- Write a report that names actions, owners and dates
- Recognise which incidents are reportable under RIDDOR
Your legal duty
The law behind accident investigation
There is no single regulation that says “investigate accidents” in those words. The duty comes out of the requirement to assess risk and to keep those assessments under review. You cannot review an assessment honestly without understanding what actually went wrong.
Reporting is more specific. RIDDOR sets out which injuries, dangerous occurrences and occupational diseases must be reported to the enforcing authority, and by whom. Knowing which incidents cross that line is part of the job, and part of this course.
- Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 - the general duties
- Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 - risk assessment and review
- The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR)
Practicalities
How the course works
For employers
Training a group of investigators
Investigation quality is uneven when everyone has learned it differently. Putting a whole supervisory team through the same course is the cheapest way to make reports comparable.
- One invoice instead of a card payment per person
- Licences allocated as people are promoted into supervisory roles
- Completion and expiry reporting for your health and safety file
- Renewal reminders before certificates lapse
- Bespoke versions built around your own incident report form
For people who investigate serious incidents regularly, awareness training is a starting point. A tutor-led course with real case work is the next step. Talk to us about tutor-led investigation training →
Accident Investigation eLearning: common questions
Not by name. The duty comes from having to assess risk and review those assessments, which you cannot do properly without investigating what went wrong. Reporting under RIDDOR, by contrast, is a specific legal duty.
The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013. They set out which workplace injuries, dangerous occurrences and occupational diseases must be reported to the enforcing authority.
Yes, and the course explains why. A near-miss is the same failure with a luckier outcome; investigating it is far cheaper than investigating the version where someone is hurt.
It gives supervisors a sound method for everyday incidents. A serious injury or a fatality needs experienced investigators and usually legal input. Talk to us about tutor-led training if that is your exposure.
About 30 minutes, with no time limit. The certificate is issued the moment you finish.
Yes. Open a business account and we invoice you for the licences, which you allocate as people need them. Completion reporting is included.
Yes. It runs in a browser on any modern phone, tablet or computer, with nothing to install.
Related