Theories of Accident Causation

EMM5616
 Learning Outcomes
• Explain the theory of accident causations and
relate to real situations.
 Why do accidents happen?

• Major concern for safety and health decision makers

for decades,
• In order to prevent accidents we must know why
they happen.
• Over the years, several theories of accident causation
have evolved that attempt to explain why accidents
occur.
 Domino Theory
• H.W. Heinrich – an early pioneer of accident
prevention and industrial safety
• According to Heinrich, there are five factors in the
sequence of events leading up to an accident.
These factors can be summarized as follows:

i. Social environment and ancestry

ii. Fault of person
iii.Unsafe act / mechanical or physical hazard
iv.Accident
v. Injury
 Heinrich’s Theorem
• INJURY - caused by accidents.
• ACCIDENTS - caused by an unsafe act –
injured person or an unsafe condition –
work place.
• UNSAFE ACTS/CONDITIONS - caused by
careless persons or poorly designed or improperly
maintained equipment.
• FAULT OF PERSONS - created by social
environment or acquired by ancestry.
• SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT/ANCESTRY - where
and how a person was raised and educated.
 Domino Theory
“Industrial Accident Prevention”

Social Fault of the Unsafe Act

Environment Person or Accident Injury
and Ancestry (Carelessness) Condition

MISTAKES OF PEOPLE
 The human factors theory

The human factors theory of accident

causation attributes accidents to a chain of
events ultimately caused by human error, it
consists of the following three broad factors
that lead to human error:
• Over load
• inappropriate response
• Inappropriate activities
Schematic Representation
 Human Factors Theory
Inappropriate Inappropriate
Overload
Response Activities
• Environmental • Detecting a • Performing tasks
Factors (noise, hazard but not without the
distractions. correcting it. requisite training
• Internal Factors • Removing • Misjudging the
(personal safeguards from degree of risk
problems, machines and involved with a
emotional stress). equipment given task.
• Situational • Ignoring safety.
Factors (unclear
instructions, risk
level)
 The accident / incident theory

In this model,
• overload, ergonomic traps, or a decision to err
lead to human error.
The decision to err may be conscious and based on
logic, or it may be unconscious.

A variety of pressures such as

• deadlines, peer pressure ,and budget factors
can lead to unsafe behavior.
Another factor that can influence such a decision is
the “ it won’t happen to me ” syndrome.
 Petersen’s Accident/Incident
Theory

Overload Ergonomic Traps Decision to Err

•Pressure •Misjudgment of
•Incompatible
•Fatigue workstation (i.e. the risk
•Motivation size, force, reach, •Unconscious
feel) desire to err
•Drugs
•Incompatible •Logical decision
•Alcohol expectations based on the
•Worry situation

Human Error
Systems Failure
Policy Inspection Accident
Responsibility Correction
Training Standards Injury/Damage
 The behavioral theory
According to Geller, there are seven basic principles of
behavior-based safety:
i. Intervention
ii. Identification of internal factors
iii. Motivation to behave in the desired manner
iv. Focus on the positive consequences of appropriate
behavior
v. Application of the scientific method
vi. Integration of information
vii. Planned interventions
 Summary
• Domino Theory
• Human Factors Theory
• Accident/Incident Theory
• Behavioral Theory