Element element element element element what should be investigated?

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1.4
ELEMENT 1.1
ELEMENT 1.4
ELEMENT 1.2
ELEMENT 1.3
ELEMENT 1.5
THOUGHT PROVOKER
Think back to conversations you have had with your colleagues or friends or family. Do you think that you 
actively listen or do you simply ‘hear’?
A
Account, clarification and challenge
Any interview undertaken must continue until all relevant information is gathered, so it is important that interviews are not 
interrupted and re-started at a later date.
Once all information has been given by the interviewee, it can then be analysed by the investigation team, who will establish:
y
areas for further exploration/investigation – where more information is 
required;
y
any inconsistencies in evidence gathered to further clarify with the 
interviewee, such as differences in times or activities being carried out at 
the time; and
y
any contradictions from the interviewee based on other evidence gathered, 
which may not always be intentional.
Summarise answers using the interviewee’s own language, eg clarifying an answer before challenging inconsistencies or 
contradictions.
C
Closure
All information must be summarised using the interviewee’s own words. This can be carried out by either the interviewer 
or scribe and this should preferably be done before the close of the interview. This will ensure that there is not a start/stop 
element to the interview eg, no unnecessary interruptions. In some circumstances it may also be necessary to arrange for the 
information obtained to be formally documented and signed by the interviewee. 
All interviewees must confirm that the statement recorded is a factual and accurate account of what they said.
The next steps should then be explained to each interviewee prior to leaving the interview room, eg they may need to be 
contacted or interviewed again as the investigation continues to clarify further points as things come to light.
Contact details for the interviewee should be taken at this time to ensure they can be contacted swiftly in this event.
E
Evaluation
At this stage, the interviewer should review their initial aims and objectives to determine whether they were met. This involves:
y
evaluating the information received during the interview, and the relevance of it to the incident and investigation;
y
comparing this with other evidence and identifying further points to be clarified or missing pieces of information; and

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NEBOSH HSE Introduction to Incident Investigation