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Master’s in Accident Investigation and Root Cause Engineering

Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in Accident Investigation and Root Cause Engineering, with 12 modules covering accident causation theories, organising investigations, evidence collection, witness interviews, causal and systemic analysis, human factors, forensic analysis, sector investigations, recommendations and reporting, with an assigned technical tutor.

Duration1900 h
ModeOnline
LanguageEnglish
Start datesSet by the faculty
AwardSEIUM Institute diploma
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Learning outcomes

What you will be able to do

01

Apply linear and systemic models of accident causation.

02

Organise independent and effective investigations.

03

Collect and preserve physical, documentary and testimonial evidence.

04

Analyse root causes with structured techniques.

05

Integrate human and organisational factors into the analysis.

06

Formulate measurable recommendations and track their effectiveness.

07

Write objective and useful investigation reports.

Profile

Who it's for

  • Accident investigators.
  • Occupational health and safety technicians specialising in investigation.
  • Human factors analysts.
  • Technical experts and expert witnesses.
  • Organisational learning managers.
  • Operational safety auditors.
  • Engineering or science graduates looking to move into the process industry.
Standards & tools

What you'll work with

  • Law 31/1995 (Occupational Risk Prevention Act, Spain)
  • ICAO Annex 13 to the Chicago Convention (aircraft accident and incident investigation)
  • Regulation (EU) 996/2010 (investigation of civil aviation accidents)
  • Directive (EU) 2016/798 (railway safety)
  • IMO Casualty Investigation Code (marine casualties and incidents)
  • Directive 2012/18/EU (Seveso III, major-accident hazards)
  • ISO 45001 (occupational health and safety management systems)
  • TapRooT
  • XMind
  • Microsoft Visio
  • NVivo
  • SAM Tool
Syllabus

12 modules · 1900 h

  1. 1.1Heinrich's domino model
  2. 1.2Epidemiological and Swiss cheese models
  3. 1.3Systemic accident models
  4. 1.4Leveson's STAMP and hierarchical control
  5. 1.5Hollnagel's FRAM
  6. 1.6Perrow's normal accidents
  7. 1.7Dekker's drift into failure
  8. 1.8Hindsight bias and causality
  9. 1.9Choosing the model for each event
  10. 1.10Case study: a systemic re-reading of Challenger
  1. 2.1Investigation policy and procedure
  2. 2.2Classification of events by severity
  3. 2.3Composition of the investigation team
  4. 2.4Independence and conflicts of interest
  5. 2.5Official investigation bodies
  6. 2.6Royal Decree 389/2024, CIAF and CIAIAC
  7. 2.7Coordination with judicial investigation
  8. 2.8Investigation timescales and resources
  9. 2.9Just and non-punitive culture
  10. 2.10Workshop: corporate investigation procedure
  1. 3.1Preserving the scene
  2. 3.2Physical, documentary and digital evidence
  3. 3.3Forensic photography and sketches
  4. 3.4Chain of custody
  5. 3.5Data recorders and black boxes
  6. 3.6Data from distributed control systems (DCS)
  7. 3.7Materials failure analysis
  8. 3.8Reconstructing the timeline
  9. 3.9Laboratory testing of components
  10. 3.10Practical exercise: evidence collection plan in a plant
  1. 4.1Psychology of eyewitness testimony
  2. 4.2Cognitive interview technique
  3. 4.3Preparing interviews
  4. 4.4Formulating open questions
  5. 4.5Interviewing affected people
  6. 4.6Interviewer biases
  7. 4.7Recording and validating statements
  8. 4.8Group interviews and reconstructions
  9. 4.9Legal aspects of statements
  10. 4.10Lab: simulated cognitive interview
  1. 5.1Five whys and its limitations
  2. 5.2Ishikawa diagram
  3. 5.3Failed barrier analysis
  4. 5.4Change analysis
  5. 5.5Events and causal factors charting
  6. 5.6INRS cause trees
  7. 5.7The TapRooT method and its root cause tree
  8. 5.8ICAM incident analysis method
  9. 5.9Comparison of methods
  10. 5.10Practical exercise: cause tree of an occupational accident
  1. 6.1CAST based on STAMP
  2. 6.2Rasmussen's AcciMap
  3. 6.3Applying FRAM to events
  4. 6.4Performance variability analysis
  5. 6.5Organisational and regulatory factors
  6. 6.6Production pressures
  7. 6.7Analysis of management decisions
  8. 6.8Modelling tools
  9. 6.9Validity of systemic analyses
  10. 6.10Lab: CAST analysis of a railway incident
  1. 7.1HFACS human factors taxonomy
  2. 7.2Error, violation and adaptation
  3. 7.3Analysis of work-as-done versus work-as-imagined
  4. 7.4Fatigue and operator conditions
  5. 7.5Interface design as a cause
  6. 7.6Staff training and competence
  7. 7.7Communication and teamwork
  8. 7.8Avoiding individual blame
  9. 7.9Organisational context of error
  10. 7.10Case study: applying HFACS to an aviation event
  1. 8.1Fractography and mechanical failures
  2. 8.2Corrosion and materials failures
  3. 8.3Analysis of fires and explosions
  4. 8.4Electrical and control failures
  5. 8.5Software and systems analysis
  6. 8.6Simulation of the sequence of events
  7. 8.7Technical expert assessment and expert reports
  8. 8.8Collaboration with forensic laboratories
  9. 8.9Interpretation of results
  10. 8.10Practical exercise: fracture analysis of a component
  1. 9.1Occupational accidents and the Labour Inspectorate
  2. 9.2Events in the process industry
  3. 9.3Aviation investigation under ICAO Annex 13
  4. 9.4Railway accidents and Directive 2016/798
  5. 9.5Marine casualties and the IMO Casualty Investigation Code
  6. 9.6Healthcare incidents and patient safety
  7. 9.7Road traffic accidents
  8. 9.8Events in nuclear power
  9. 9.9Cyber incidents with physical impact
  10. 9.10Case study: comparison of official reports
  1. 10.1Writing effective recommendations
  2. 10.2Hierarchy of controls in recommendations
  3. 10.3Tracking corrective actions
  4. 10.4Measuring effectiveness
  5. 10.5Event databases
  6. 10.6Analysis of trends and precursors
  7. 10.7Sharing lessons learned
  8. 10.8Double-loop organisational learning
  9. 10.9Learning indicators
  10. 10.10Workshop: action plan based on recommendations
  1. 11.1Structure of official reports
  2. 11.2Objective and verifiable writing
  3. 11.3Use of diagrams and timelines
  4. 11.4Peer review
  5. 11.5Communication with those affected
  6. 11.6Legal aspects of the report
  7. 11.7Confidentiality of sources
  8. 11.8Presentation to management
  9. 11.9Report publication and transparency
  10. 11.10Practical exercise: writing a complete report
  1. 12.1Selection of the event analysed
  2. 12.2Gathering public evidence
  3. 12.3Chronological reconstruction of the event
  4. 12.4Linear causal analysis
  5. 12.5Systemic analysis with CAST or FRAM
  6. 12.6Human and organisational factors
  7. 12.7Recommendations and follow-up
  8. 12.8Comparison with the official investigation
  9. 12.9Master's Thesis report
  10. 12.10Master's Thesis: defence before a panel
Methodology, software & labs

How you'll learn

100% online learning on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable materials, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. No fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within each intake, so it fits around your job.

Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is TapRooT, XMind, Microsoft Visio, NVivo and SAM Tool, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Testing is studied through real procedures: reconstruction of events from evidence, simulated cognitive interviews and systemic analyses with CAST and FRAM. Assessment is continuous for each module, plus the final Master's Thesis.

Standards covered: Law 31/1995, ICAO Annex 13 to the Chicago Convention, Regulation (EU) 996/2010, Directive (EU) 2016/798, IMO Casualty Investigation Code, Directive 2012/18/EU (Seveso III), ISO 45001.

Assigned technical tutor:every module ends with a deliverable that your tutor marks individually.
Standards-based learning:guided reading of Law 31/1995, ICAO Annex 13 and Regulation (EU) 996/2010 applied to real cases, not as a theoretical annex.
Industry software:TapRooT, XMind, Microsoft Visio, NVivo and SAM Tool, in free, academic or evaluation versions.
Master's Thesis with defence:an independent investigation of a real event, combining linear and systemic analysis and compared with the official investigation, defended before a panel.
Flexible format:100% online, no fixed timetables, compatible with full-time work.
Capstone project

Build it end to end

Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.

Event and evidence
Select an event and gather the available public evidence.
Timeline reconstruction
Reconstruct the chronology of the event.
Causal and systemic analysis
Carry out a linear causal analysis and a systemic analysis with CAST or FRAM.
Recommendations
Analyse human and organisational factors and formulate recommendations with follow-up.
Master's Thesis
Compare your findings with the official investigation in your Master's Thesis, defended before a panel.
Career opportunities

Where this takes you

Accident investigatorOccupational health and safety technician specialising in investigationHuman factors analystTechnical expertOrganisational learning managerOperational safety auditor
Admissions & scholarships

Requirements

  • University degree in engineering, science or architecture, or equivalent demonstrable professional experience.
  • Internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme's software.
  • English sufficient to read technical standards.

Ready to start?

Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.

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FAQ

Frequently asked questions

The programme totals 1,900 hours over 12–14 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.

You work with TapRooT, XMind, Microsoft Visio, NVivo and SAM Tool, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.

A SEIUM Institute diploma, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the Master's Thesis. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.

Yes. Modules passed in a course or postgraduate diploma in the same area are recognised in the higher programme. Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.

A university degree in engineering, science or architecture (or equivalent professional experience), a computer able to run the programme's software and English sufficient to read technical standards.

Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.

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