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Description

Causal Tree Analysis: Gathering Facts, Building the Tree and Taking Action

Analysing a workplace accident by tracing it back to organisational causes rather than individual blame

  • 1 day — 7 h
  • In-person or virtual
  • Intermediate
  • Up to 6 participants

After an accident, the analysis often stops at the quickest conclusion: operator inattention, a guard removed, an instruction ignored. The resulting measures amount to little more than a reminder of the rules and an internal memo. The organisational causes remain untouched and a similar accident occurs at another workstation a few months later.

One day of practice in causal tree analysis: gathering the facts immediately after the event, conducting interviews, building the tree and selecting prevention measures. Participants build several trees from detailed accident accounts and compare their interpretations.

Learning objectives

  • Gather the facts of an accident while separating observation from interpretation
  • Conduct interviews with witnesses without leading their answers
  • Build a causal tree in line with its construction logic
  • Trace the chain from immediate causes back to organisational causes
  • Select prevention measures that act on the causes identified

What makes this programme different

Several trees are built from detailed accident accounts and then compared between groups
Fact-gathering is practised through role-played interviews with witnesses who contradict one another
Proposed measures are examined against the specific cause they are intended to address

Programme

1Gathering the facts

What is at stake in the first few hours

  • Distinguishing an observed fact from a judgement or an interpretation
  • Organising fact-gathering immediately after the event
  • Conducting interviews with witnesses and the injured person
  • Collecting physical evidence and useful traces

2Building the tree

Tracing the chain without skipping a step

  • Identifying the final event and the preceding facts
  • Applying the tests of necessity and sufficiency to each new fact
  • Representing sequences, conjunctions and disjunctions
  • Avoiding shortcuts and causes expressed in negative terms
  • Validating the tree with the people concerned

3Deciding on measures

Acting on the organisation, not only on the individual action

  • Identifying the facts on which action is possible
  • Distinguishing prevention measures from protection measures
  • Assessing the reach of a measure beyond the workstation concerned
  • Documenting measures with an owner and a deadline
  • Checking their implementation and their effect

Who is it for

Employee representatives on health and safety committees, safety officers, HSE managers and frontline managers required to analyse accidents and near misses.

Prerequisites

Familiarity with how the workstations under analysis operate will make the exercises easier.

Dates & locations

36 scheduled dates between November 2026 and December 2027. Seats are confirmed in the order enquiries are received.

November 2026

December 2026

January 2027

February 2027

March 2027

April 2027

May 2027

June 2027

September 2027

October 2027

November 2027

December 2027

None of these dates suit you? We open additional sessions on request, and any programme can be run privately for your team.

Practical details

Before the programme
Online positioning questionnaire. Your development objectives are shared with the trainer, who tailors the practical case studies to your context.
Teaching methods
Theoretical input, workshops and practical case studies. Digital course materials and method sheets provided.
Assessment
Multiple-choice tests and role-play exercises. Assessment of learning at the start and end of the programme, with immediate and 60-day follow-up evaluations.
After the programme
One year of access to the e-learning platform. Self-assessment of the skills acquired and a 30-day follow-up session with your trainer.
How to register
Registration online or on the basis of a quotation.
Lead time
11 working days after confirmation of registration.
Accessibility
Accessible to people of determination. Contact our accessibility coordinator to design a suitable solution: contact@mpf-academy.ae
Start dates
Rolling intake: in addition to the scheduled sessions, this programme can start on request.