Improving Incident Investigations: A Systematic Approach for EHS Professionals

Thorough, well-structured incident investigations are essential to preventing workplace injuries and improving organizational safety performance. Yet, many investigations focus only on immediate causes—missing deeper system factors that drive recurring incidents. This webinar provides EHS professionals with practical guidance on conducting effective, prevention-focused investigations that go beyond surface findings to uncover the true sources of risk.

Participants will learn how to apply a systematic investigative approach, distinguish between direct and system-level contributors, and identify actionable root causes. Through real-world examples and proven analysis techniques, attendees will gain tools to strengthen their investigative consistency, documentation quality, and the impact of corrective actions.

Objectives

Upon completion, participants will be able to:  

1. Explain the purpose of incident investigations and their role in identifying contributing and root causes of workplace incidents.
2. Distinguish between direct causes and system-level contributing factors when analyzing an incident scenario.
3. Apply a structured investigative approach to identify the underlying causes of a workplace incident.
4. Develop corrective and preventive action recommendations that address identified root and contributing causes

Lecturer

Collin Rusche, CIH, CSP, CHMM, PMP, CPP

Lecturer

Collin Rusche brings 10+ years of EHS experience across the chemical industry, manufacturing environments, and the technology sector. He has developed, led, and strengthened comprehensive safety and environmental programs that support operational excellence and regulatory compliance. Collin has extensive experience with OSHA, DOT, and EPA regulatory frameworks, including managing LQG, SQG, and VSQG operations and overseeing programs such as SPCC, SWPPP, NPDES, Title V, and the Clean Water Act (CWA). His background includes driving initiatives that reduce risk, support continuous improvement, and build strong, engaged safety cultures. Collin is passionate about creating practical, effective EHS programs and enjoys partnering with teams to make safety accessible, meaningful, and a natural part of day‑to‑day work.

Credit

This course contains 1 hours of instruction. 0.1 CEUs are offered for this course.

As an IACET Accredited Provider, Bowen Learning Network offers CEUs for its programs that qualify under the ANSI/IACET Standard.

Eligible for contact hours with the BGC, BCSP, IHMM, and other OEHS certifying agencies.

For more details on certification and recertification credit, please visit How many points/credits/hours is a course worth?

Completion Requirements

To receive a Certificate of Completion for this course, participants are required to complete the following items:

1. Participate in the live webinar or review the on-demand webinar recording.
2. Score 70% or higher on the quiz.
3. Complete the webinar evaluation.

No certificate will be awarded to participants who do not meet the above completion requirements.

Computer Requirements

The Bowen Learning Network online virtual classrooms are powered by BigBlueButton. It fully supports the Windows, Mac OS X, and Chromebook platforms (see below for versions supported). Support is available for iOS (iPads) and Android Tablets. While smart phones can be used, the screens are too small to display all of the aspects of the Virtual Classroom.  For the best online learning experience, the use of a device with a larger screen is HIGHLY recommended. A physical keyboard is also recommended.

See how the Virtual Classroom works: