All Posts

In general, we recognise the importance of competent incident investigators. Organisations invest in training, send people on accredited courses and build internal investigation teams. These are valuable investments. Yet one assumption often remains unchallenged. Once someone has completed a training course, they are considered capable of conducting investigations. In reality, investigation capability does not develop that way. No pilot expects to master flying after a single

Understanding How Systems Really Fail Incident investigations often begin by asking what went wrong. A procedure was not followed. A valve was opened too early. Someone made the wrong decision. These observations may all be factually correct, yet they rarely explain why the incident became possible. Barrier thinking starts somewhere else. Instead of asking "What failed?", it first asks: "What should have protected the system?" That seemingly small shift changes the entire inv

Long before investigators analyse barriers, identify organisational influences or construct investigation diagrams, they first need to understand what happened through the people who were involved. The quality of those conversations often determines the quality of the investigation itself. Even the most structured investigation methodology cannot compensate for poor interviewing. Developing strong interviewing skills is therefore one of the most valuable investments an invest

Tripod Beta is a powerful investigation methodology, but like any methodology, its effectiveness largely depends on how it is applied. Many weaknesses in Tripod Beta investigations are not caused by the methodology itself, but by the way investigators think, ask questions and interpret information. Even experienced practitioners can unintentionally reduce the quality of their investigation by stopping their analysis too early, making assumptions, or focusing on classification

Incident investigation reports often contain phrases such as: Poor communication Human error Lack of awareness Inadequate supervision Insufficient training At first glance, these statements seem reasonable. They sound like explanations and appear to identify why the incident occurred. The problem is that they often do something dangerous: they create the impression that we understand the problem when, in reality, we have only given it a name. Organisations rarely fail to lear

Many organisations complete investigations, assign corrective actions and formally close incidents. Yet despite these efforts, similar events continue to happen. The reason is often that the corrective actions implemented are not truly effective. This raises an uncomfortable question. Are organisations truly learning from incidents … or simply managing administrative closure? The Problem with Many Corrective Actions One of the most common weaknesses in incident management is

Many organisations invest heavily in investigation templates, software systems and reporting formats. While these tools can support consistency, they do not automatically create strong investigations. The quality of an investigation is still largely determined by the investigator's capabilities and mindset. Curiosity Before Conclusions Good investigators are not simply people who know the methodology. They are people who remain curious, analytical and open-minded throughout t

Why effective investigators look beyond the individual and focus on the conditions that shaped the event.

Many organisations apply Tripod Beta as part of their incident investigation process. The methodology provides a structured framework … yet the quality of the outcome still varies significantly in practice. A diagram can be complete … and still not tell you anything meaningful. An analysis can be structured … and still lack insight. What, then, defines a good Tripod Beta investigation? Quality in Tripod Investigation: Looking Beyond the Diagram Tripod Beta offers a clear anal

Incident investigation is not only about applying a method. It is also about interpretation, judgement and shared understanding. Even a structured framework such as Tripod Beta benefits from reflection, discussion and exchange between practitioners. The Tripod Beta User Days 2026 provide such a forum. Organised in the Netherlands and hosted in English, the event brings together investigators, trainers and safety professionals from different industries and countries. The aim i

In high-risk and complex industries, organisations continue to seek investigation approaches that go beyond immediate causes and simplistic explanations of human error. While safety thinking has evolved significantly over the past decades, the need for structured, systemic analysis remains unchanged. Tripod Beta, developed in the 1990s at the universities of Leiden and Manchester on behalf of Shell International, was designed to address this challenge precisely: to understand

Developing strong investigation capability is essential for meaningful organisational learning. Many invest in methodologies, software and investigation procedures. Yet the quality of organisational learning still varies enormously. Why? Because meaningful learning does not start with methodology. It starts with capable investigators. That belief is why Tripod Academy was created. We Don't Just Teach Tripod. We Develop Incident Investigators. Tripod Beta is a powerful methodo