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Events & Causal Factors Charting
Put it in order. Then find the cause.
Every event of the incident goes on one verified line, from well before the loss to the response. We add the conditions that shaped each step, then mark the causal factors. It is the picture boards, insurers and regulators follow fastest.
Build the chart
A dye-vat release in Faisalabad, in three layers.
Switch the layers on one at a time, then tap any box to see the evidence behind it. Illustrative example.
DAY 1 · 14:10
DAY 1 · 15:00
DAY 1 · 17:30
NIGHT
DAY 2 · 06:20
DAY 2 · 09:05
DAY 2 · 09:18
DAY 2 · 09:24
DAY 1 · 15:00 · CONFIRMED BY TWO SOURCES
Fitter isolates the relief line to work safely
Evidence: Fitter interview; valve photographed in the closed position
Condition: Switch on "+ Conditions" to see what shaped this event.
Causal factor: Switch on "+ Causal factors" to see.
WHAT THE CHART SHOWED
Eight events, one of them a blank night nobody can account for.
Since the 1990s
30
years investigating
250+
investigations closed, incl. HiPOs
15
countries served
20+
countries of lead seminars
100+
nationalities trained
Why investigators start here
The chart shows what you don't yet know.
Gaps in the sequence become obvious, so the next interview or record request targets them directly.
Conflicting accounts sit side by side on one line, where the evidence can settle them.
Leadership sees the whole event on one page, days before the full report is ready.
What P3i does for you
You bring the incident. We build the chart and prove every box.
- 1
We map who holds the records
On the first call we list the logs, permits, CCTV, control-system data and people the chart will need, so nothing is overwritten while we travel.
- 2
We build the chart on your wall, with your team
A working chart goes up early in fieldwork. Your people see it grow, correct it, and trust it.
- 3
We verify every box and name every gap
Each event is tied to a record or two independent accounts. You get a running gap list, so the right questions are asked while memories are fresh.
- 4
We take the causal factors to the root
Each causal factor is traced through the P3i Causation Model to the control gap behind it, and our process specialists check where else that gap exists.
- 5
We brief your leadership on one page
The chart walks your board, insurer or regulator through the event, then leads straight into the action plan.
What you receive
The full chart, print-ready
A one-page board version
Evidence index for every box
Gap register, closed or open
Causal factors traced to control gaps
A briefing session for leadership
Call us when
Use it for
Any serious incident with more than a few steps
Events spread over several shifts or days
Cases where accounts disagree
On its own it cannot
Explain why a causal factor existed
Show which management controls were missing
Method names are given for reference. Several are proprietary or trademarked; P3i selects the approach that suits each case and does not claim licensed certification in proprietary methods.
Accounts of your incident don't add up? A first call costs nothing, and we will tell you how we would chart it.
The P3i approach
How we investigate with a verified timeline. Fact-finding, not fault-finding.
Every P3i investigation is led by a senior investigator and supported by internationally qualified process specialists. You will not receive a list of people to blame, or a long list of generic actions. You will receive the facts, the proven causes, and a short plan that closes the gaps, in this case and across your system.
Independent
No products, repairs or contracts to sell you afterwards.
Senior-led
Thirty years of investigation, from the first call to the final briefing.
Beyond the event
Process specialists find the other cracks before they fail.
Ready to present
Written for boards, buyers, insurers and regulators.
How P3i does it for you
- 01
Map who holds the records
Logs, permits, CCTV, data and people — before anything is overwritten.
- 02
Build the chart on your wall
With your team, so they trust what it shows.
- 03
Verify every box
Two sources or a record; gaps shown, never guessed.
- 04
Trace causal factors to the root
Through the P3i Causation Model.
- 05
Brief on one page
The picture your board, insurer or regulator follows first.
What you receive
Call us when
Free 30-minute case assessment.
Tell us what happened. In confidence, we will tell you what the investigation should cover, how long it will take and what to preserve today.
Questions
What boards ask about the chart.
Is an ECF chart the same as a timeline?
It starts as one. Then it adds the conditions that shaped each event and marks the causal factors, so it explains the event as well as describing it.
Can we present it to our board?
Yes. It is usually the clearest single picture of what happened, and boards, insurers and regulators follow it quickly.
What if some facts are unknown?
Gaps are shown as gaps, never filled with assumptions. Each one becomes a question the investigation has to answer.
When is the chart built?
A first draft early in fieldwork, refined as records, interviews and site evidence come in.
One line. Every fact on it verified.
