Tripod Lite

This one-day course (3 modules of 3 hours each) provides basic knowledge and practical application of the Tripod method in a compact form – for the independent analysis of simpler events and near misses directly on-site. It concludes with a certificate of attendance.

What is Tripod Lite?

Tripod Lite was developed by the Energy Institute and the Stichting Tripod Foundation – the same organizations behind Tripod Beta. The idea behind it: when investigating serious accidents, it often becomes clear in hindsight that the causes could have been identified earlier – namely in smaller, less severe events or near misses that occurred previously. However, these “weak signals” are often lost because it is impractical to investigate every small event with the full depth of Tripod Beta.

This is exactly where Tripod Lite comes in: a compact, free tool (available as a PDF or Excel workbook) for the rapid investigation of simple, non-complex events and near misses with low damage potential. An analysis can be completed in as little as 2 hours – even by individuals without in-depth Tripod training, such as supervisors or managers.

Tripod Lite is particularly suitable for managers, shift leaders, or safety officers who regularly investigate and address smaller incidents or near misses directly within the team – quickly, transparently, and without external support.

Tripod Lite links barrier thinking with human behavior

Like Tripod Beta, Tripod Lite combines the barrier thinking of the Swiss Cheese Model with models of human behavior – just in a more compact form.

First, the chain of events is reconstructed: What happened and when (Timeline), and how are the event, hazard, and context related (Event, Hazard, Context)?

Next, the barriers are examined: Which protective measures were intended – and at what point were they not detected, not correctly decided upon, or not executed (Detect – Decide – Do)?

Only then does the human element come into play: What was actually done (Work as Done), and which work and organizational factors made this action likely at that time?

The same applies to Tripod Lite: it is not about finding the error, but about understanding the context that made it likely. This is exactly what makes the method – despite its compactness – compatible with the New View of Safety philosophy.