Overview
ISO 5665:2024 - Consumer incident investigation - Requirements and guidance provides a structured, practical framework for investigating incidents that cause or could cause injury, illness, fatalities, property damage or environmental harm related to the use, transportation or storage of products, services or facilities by consumers. The standard is applicable to any person or organization of any size (public, private or community-based) and emphasizes thorough data collection, impartial analysis and development of actionable recommendations to prevent recurrence.
Key topics and technical requirements
ISO 5665:2024 sets out principles, procedures and methods for consumer incident investigation. Major technical topics include:
- Principles of investigation: objectives, mission and organizational characteristics (independence, impartiality, expertise, resources).
- Incidents to be investigated: scope includes incidents in use, in transport and in storage.
- Investigation process and flow: establishing terms of reference, investigation planning and team formation.
- Scene management and initial data collection: guidance on preserving evidence, collecting documents, photos, videos and physical samples.
- Data validation and experiments: procedures for verifying information and conducting tests where needed.
- Cause and factor analysis: use of factor analysis and root cause analysis methods to identify direct, underlying and root causes.
- Risk reduction measures: developing recommendations to reduce risk and prevent recurrence.
- Reporting and follow-up: structuring incident investigation reports and mechanisms for tracking implementation of recommendations.
- Respect for victims: ethical treatment of victims and families during investigations.
Annexes provide informative methods for factor analysis, a root cause analysis example, and a sample scene risk assessment.
Practical applications - who uses ISO 5665:2024
This standard is useful for organizations and professionals responsible for consumer safety and incident response, including:
- Consumer protection agencies and regulators
- Incident investigation teams and safety officers
- Manufacturers, service providers and retailers managing product incidents or complaints
- Public health and emergency response organizations
- Certification bodies, standardization committees and safety consultants
Practical uses include conducting standardized investigations, identifying root causes, informing corrective actions (product redesign, labeling, training), improving data sharing practices and producing consistent investigation reports to reduce future consumer harm.
Related standards and references
ISO 5665:2024 references and aligns with terminology and concepts from established documents such as ISO/IEC Guide 51:2014, ISO 26000:2010, IEC 62740:2015 and relevant guidance like CSA Z1005-17. These related standards can support implementation of risk assessment, human error analysis and organizational practices.
Keywords: ISO 5665:2024, consumer incident investigation, incident investigation standard, root cause analysis, scene management, data collection, risk reduction, consumer safety.