Tripod Beta Software for Incident Investigation

The gold-standard Tripod Beta methodology, now built into cloud-based incident investigation software. From incident to root cause - faster.

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ABOUT THE METHODOLOGY

What is Tripod Beta?

Tripod Beta is an internationally recognised incident investigation methodology, originally developed by Shell International and the University of Leiden in the 1990s. 

It traces the causes of any incident through three structured layers: what happened (the sequence of events), how it happened (which barriers failed), and why it happened (the underlying organisational causes). 

The Tripod Foundation, published through the Energy Institute, maintains and updates the methodology, which is used across Oil & Gas, Aviation, Mining, Energy and Construction worldwide.

Incident Insight brings the Tripod Beta methodology into a cloud-based tool. Investigators build the Tripod tree visually using a drag-and-drop canvas, with structured prompts guiding each step - no separate methodology training required to produce a valid, defensible analysis.

 

How a Tripod Beta Analysis works

1.
Capture the Physical Chain - Record events as Agent–Object–Event trios.
2.
Identify and Classify Barriers - Identify barriers that should have prevented harm and classify each as effective, failed, missing or inadequate.
3.
Trace to Underlying Causes - Walk back to the underlying cause and classify it against one of the eleven Basic Risk Factors.
WHAT IT DOES

Tripod Beta in Incident Insight

From the moment an incident is logged to the final causation path, Tripod Beta in Incident Insight keeps the methodology intact and removes the friction.

Drag-and-Drop Diagram Builder

Build a complete Tripod Beta tree by dragging events, failed barriers, and causation paths onto the canvas - no training on the tool required.

Cloud-Based, No Installation

Incident Insight runs entirely on your browser. Build, share and review Tripod Beta diagrams from any device, with no software to install or maintain.

Methodology-Aligned Canvas

The canvas enforces valid Tripod Beta structure at every step, so investigators stay aligned with the method without memorising it.

Multiple Personnel Uses

Investigators, safety managers, and Tripod Beta trainers each access the same diagram with role-appropriate permissions. One platform serves the full investigation team.

Customisable Metadata

Attach custom fields to any node in the Tripod Beta tree - dates, responsible parties, evidence links, regulatory references - to meet your organisation's reporting requirements.

Analysis Mode

Surface recurring patterns within a Tripod Beta tree, so the systemic drivers of an incident stand out at a glance and the right remedial actions are easy to spot.

Project & Folder Organisation

Organise investigations by project, site or business unit. Find any Tripod Beta diagram through structured folders, with no jumping between systems.

Published Versions

Publish a locked version of any Tripod Beta diagram at key stages of the investigation. Each published version is dated and preserved, so you can see how the analysis developed without overwriting earlier work.
WHY TRIPOD BETA

5 Advantages of the Tripod Beta Methodology

Tripod Beta is not just another RCA framework. It is a structured, industry-tested methodology designed to find the organisational weaknesses that allow incidents to happen, not just the people closest to them.

1.

Moves Beyond Human Error

Tripod Beta systematically surfaces the organisational failures behind human error, rather than stopping at the person who made the mistake. Investigations that end at 'operator error' miss the systemic causes that will produce the next incident.

2.

Structured, Repeatable Framework

Every investigation follows the same Tripod Beta logic: events, failed barriers, immediate causes, preconditions, underlying causes. Results are directly comparable across incidents, sites, and teams.

3.

Identifies Systemic Weaknesses

The Basic Risk Factor (BRF) classification in Tripod Beta flags which management systems are failing - not just which procedures were not followed. This is the information that drives lasting improvement.

4.

Focuses on Barrier Failures

Tripod Beta maps which barriers existed, which failed, and why - giving safety managers a direct line from incident to prevention measure.

5.

Recognised Across High-Risk Industries

Tripod Beta is the methodology of choice across Oil & Gas, Energy & Utilities, Aviation, Mining, and Construction. Sector regulators and insurers recognise its outputs.

WHO USES IT

The Top 5 Industries Using

Tripod Beta Diagrams

From offshore platforms to aviation maintenance, Tripod Beta is the methodology of choice wherever the consequences of getting it wrong are highest.

Oil & Gas

Tripod Beta originated in Shell's exploration and production operations and remains the dominant incident investigation methodology across UKCS and Dutch Continental Shelf operators. Incident Insight supports the full investigation workflow - from initial scene data to final BRF classification - in a single cloud platform.

Energy & Utilities

Grid operators and generation companies use Tripod Beta to investigate equipment failures and human factors incidents under regulatory reporting obligations. Incident Insight produces structured investigation records that satisfy HSE and sector-specific reporting requirements.

Mining

High-energy environments with multiple concurrent hazards make Tripod Beta's multi-barrier analysis particularly effective for fatality and serious injury investigations. Incident Insight allows multiple investigation team members to work on the same diagram simultaneously - critical in remote mining operations.

Aviation

Tripod Beta is accepted by EASA-regulated investigators and used by accredited aviation safety trainers. Incident Insight supports Bronze, Silver, and Gold-level investigations with methodology guidance embedded at each step.

Construction

Principal designers and principal contractors use Tripod Beta to investigate CDM-reportable incidents where organisational causation must be documented. Incident Insight provides the structured framework and audit trail required for HSE reporting.

For accredited practitioners

A Working Environment for Tripod Beta Trainers and Trainees


Tripod Beta trainers use Incident Insight to give trainees a working environment that mirrors real-world investigation software from day one. 

Trainees practise building Tripod Beta trees, classifying Basic Risk Factors, and documenting causation paths in the same tool they will use in the field. Methodology guidance is embedded throughout - reinforcing what trainers teach rather than contradicting it.

Trainee work stays organised and comparable across a cohort
Easy to review without whiteboards or emailed PowerPoint files
Your method, your curriculum, your assessment. Our software holds the structure together
What our customers say

Trusted by Safety Teams

Worldwide

Incident Insight is part of the Salus Suite, used by organisations across 25 countries and 43 industries to manage risk and investigate incidents.

"Salus Suite offers a competitive product which is a market leader in safety visualisation. As well as their fast and personal customer support where the team will answer any of my questions in no time"

Quentin Perneel - Incident Management Officer

Port of Antwerp

"Salus Suite is a very useful tool which has facilitated our cumulative risk assessment process. In particular, the ability to link and import data from Excel has proven to be a very accessible way for us to present data exactly as required."

Richard Emery - Principal Consultant

Petrofac

"Salus Suite makes it easy to discuss risk. It’s enabled us to turn complex situations into a simple picture."

Baering Logason – CISO

Isavia
Common questions

Tripod Beta in Incident Insight - FAQs

Everything you need to know before getting started.

What is Tripod Beta software used for?
Is Tripod Beta the same as root cause analysis?
Which industries use Tripod Beta?
Is there a free trial?
How does Tripod Beta in Incident Insight compare to other tools?

Ready to investigate with Tripod Beta?

Join organisations across 25 countries who use Incident Insight to understand the real causes of incidents - and prevent the next one. 

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