Why It Matters

An investigation is the most important hour of work after an incident.

WorkSafeBC and WorkSafe Alberta expect a defensible investigation. Insurers, regulators, and your own people are watching to see whether you handle the event seriously. Done poorly, an investigation creates legal exposure, drives up claim costs, and lets the same incident happen again. Done well, it protects the company and — far more importantly — protects the next person.

Our work is built around three commitments: find the truth, document it defensibly, and make sure the corrective action actually changes the next shift.

What you walk away with

  • A clear, evidence-backed root cause — not just an immediate cause
  • A regulator-ready report in WorkSafe format
  • Corrective actions written so they can actually be executed and tracked
  • A timeline and witness record that holds up under cross-examination
  • Preserved evidence and chain-of-custody documentation

Methodology

We choose the right tool for the incident. Two formal methods, one disciplined process.

T

TapRoot Root Cause Analysis

A structured root-cause method built around the SnapCharT timeline, Root Cause Tree, and Corrective Action Helper. Best for incidents where the failure path crosses multiple departments, procedures, or systems — and where a deep, repeatable analysis is needed to find the real causes.

Best for: serious injuries, fatalities, repeated near-misses, equipment failures, and incidents with regulatory exposure.

D

DNV GL Incident Investigation

The classic Loss Causation Model — immediate causes, basic causes, and lack-of-control roots. Strong, well-known framework that aligns cleanly with how WorkSafe expects findings to be presented and lets management see exactly where the system broke down.

Best for: medium-severity incidents, claims-driven investigations, and engagements where the client team will own the follow-up.

Investigator's Mindset

Trained to investigate. Not just trained in safety.

Most HSE consultants learn investigation as a side skill. Our background is different. Robert spent 8 years as an Auxiliary Constable with the Province of BC — interviewing witnesses, securing scenes, preserving evidence, and writing reports that had to hold up in real proceedings. That discipline carries directly into HSE investigations.

Add 24 years of HSE field experience and formal certification in both TapRoot and DNV GL, and you get an investigator who can show up at a chaotic scene, take control without taking over, and produce a report that survives every level of scrutiny — internal, regulator, insurer, or courtroom.

What that looks like on scene

  • Calm, methodical presence in the first hour
  • Evidence preservation before it walks off the site
  • Witness interviews that capture facts, not opinions
  • Timeline reconstruction grounded in physical evidence
  • Clear separation of fact, observation, and inference in the report

What We Do

End-to-end investigation — from the first phone call to corrective action close-out.

On-Scene Response

Rapid mobilization across BC and Alberta. We can be on-site, on-call, or available remotely depending on severity and your needs.

Evidence Preservation

Scene photography, physical evidence securement, environmental conditions logging, equipment isolation, and chain-of-custody documentation.

Witness Interviews

Structured interviews with workers, supervisors, and bystanders. We separate what people saw from what they assume, and document both.

Root Cause Analysis

TapRoot or DNV GL methodology applied to the evidence — driving past immediate causes to the systemic factors that allowed the incident.

Reporting

WorkSafe-format reports that present facts, findings, and corrective actions in a way regulators, insurers, and your management team can all act on.

Corrective Action Tracking

Written corrective actions that are executable, with owners and dates. We can stay engaged for verification or hand off cleanly to your team.

WorkSafe Interface

Direct communication with WorkSafeBC officers when appropriate, including follow-up correspondence and order responses.

Claim Support

Documentation review and coordination with your claim management to support fair, accurate outcomes for worker and employer alike.

Incidents We Investigate

From close-calls to fatalities — across drilling, completions, civil, plant, and mining work.

People

  • Lost-time injuries (LTIs)
  • Medical treatment cases & first aid events
  • Fatalities
  • Near misses and high-potential events
  • Exposure incidents (chemical, biological, thermal)

Equipment, Environment, & Other

  • Motor vehicle incidents
  • Equipment damage and dropped objects
  • Environmental releases and spills
  • Process safety events
  • Security and theft incidents

How an Engagement Works

From the first call to closed corrective actions. Clear handoffs at every step.

1

The Call

You call. We get the basics — what happened, where, severity, who's been notified — and confirm scope and response within the first conversation.

2

Mobilize & Secure

Travel to site as required. Secure the scene, preserve evidence, identify witnesses, and coordinate with your supervisor or HSE lead.

3

Investigate

Apply the right methodology (TapRoot or DNV GL), conduct interviews, reconstruct the timeline, and identify root causes.

4

Report & Recommend

Deliver a clean, defensible report with corrective actions written so they can actually be assigned, tracked, and verified.

5

Follow Through

Stay engaged for corrective action verification, regulator follow-up, and claim coordination — or hand off to your team with a complete file.

Had an incident? Call before the paperwork hardens.

The first hour after an incident sets the trajectory for everything that follows. The sooner we're involved, the more we can preserve — and the cleaner the path forward for your company and your people.

Get Investigation Support