ICAM Investigations

ICAM (Incident Cause Analysis Method) is a structured, internationally recognised approach to investigating incidents that goes beyond identifying what happened to uncover why it happened. Rather than focusing solely on immediate or surface-level causes, ICAM examines the full chain of contributing factors—ranging from human actions and environmental conditions to organisational systems and decision-making processes. The result is a comprehensive understanding of incidents that supports meaningful, long-term risk reduction.

At its core, ICAM categorises contributing factors into areas such as individual actions, task and environmental conditions, equipment, and organisational influences. This systematic framework ensures that investigations are thorough, consistent, and defensible—particularly in complex or high-consequence events.

Our unique capability lies in integrating the ICAM methodology with expert fire origin and cause determination. While traditional fire investigations establish where and how a fire started, our approach goes further by applying ICAM principles to analyse why the conditions existed for the fire to occur and escalate. This means examining not only ignition sources and fire dynamics, but also maintenance practices, system failures, human factors, compliance gaps, and organisational controls.

By combining forensic fire expertise with ICAM, FEMAR delivers investigations that are both technically rigorous and strategically valuable. Clients receive clear, evidence-based findings that stand up to legal and insurance scrutiny, along with practical recommendations aimed at preventing recurrence. This integrated approach bridges the gap between fire investigation and broader risk management, providing deeper insights that support safer operations and stronger organisational resilience.