ClevelandStateUniversityWorkZoneSafetyandEfficiencyTransportationCenterSection3AccidentTheoriesTHEORIESOFACCIDENTCAUSATION•You’vecarefullythoughtoutalltheangles.•You’vedoneitathousandtimes.•Itcomesnaturallytoyou.•Youknowwhatyou’redoing,it’swhatyou’vebeentrainedtodoyourwholelife.•Nothingcouldpossiblygowrong,right?ClevelandStateUniversityWorkZoneSafetyandEfficiencyTransportationCenterSection3AccidentTheoriesClevelandStateUniversityWorkZoneSafetyandEfficiencyTransportationCenterSection3AccidentTheoriesClevelandStateUniversityWorkZoneSafetyandEfficiencyTransportationCenterSection3AccidentTheoriesTheoriesofAccidentCausationThereareseveralmajortheoriesconcerningaccidentcausation,eachofwhichhassomeexplanatoryandpredictivevalue.1.ThedominotheorydevelopedbyH.W.Heinrich,asafetyengineerandpioneerinthefieldofindustrialaccidentsafety.2.HumanFactorsTheory3.Accident/IncidentTheory4.EpidemiologicalTheory5.SystemsTheory6.Theenergyreleasetheory,developedbyDr.WilliamHaddon,Jr.,oftheInsuranceInstituteforHighwaySafety.7.BehaviorTheoryAccidenttheoriesguidesafetyinvestigations.Theydescribethescopeofaninvestigation.Heinrich'sDominoTheoryAccordingtoHeinrich,an"accident"isonefactorinasequencethatmayleadtoaninjury.•Thefactorscanbevisualizedasaseriesofdominoesstandingonedge;whenonefalls,thelinkagerequiredforachainreactioniscompleted.•Eachofthefactorsisdependentontheprecedingfactor.ClevelandStateUniversityWorkZoneSafetyandEfficiencyTransportationCenterSection3AccidentTheoriesClevelandStateUniversityWorkZoneSafetyandEfficiencyTransportationCenterSection3AccidentTheoriesSocialEnvironmentandInheritedBehavior(e.g.,alcoholism)Faultoftheperson(carelessness,badtemper,recklessness,etc)Unsafeactorcondition–PerformingataskwithouttheappropriatePPEAccidentInjury–outcomeofsomeaccidentsbutnotallMISTAKESOFPEOPLE1932FirstScientificApproachtoAccident/Prevention-H.W.HeinrichHeinrich’sDominos–TheProcess1.Apersonalinjury(thefinaldomino)occursonlyasaresultofanaccident.2.Anaccidentoccursonlyasaresultofapersonalormechanicalhazard.3.Personalandmechanicalhazardsexistonlythroughthefaultofcarelesspersonsorpoorlydesignedorimproperlymaintainedequipment.4.Faultsofpersonsareinheritedoracquiredasaresultoftheirsocialenvironmentoracquiredbyancestry.5.Theenvironmentiswhereandhowapersonwasraisedandeducated..ClevelandStateUniversityWorkZoneSafetyandEfficiencyTransportationCenterSection3AccidentTheoriesHeinrich’sDominoTheory–CriticalIssues•Thefactorprecedingtheaccident(theunsafeactorthemechanicalorphysicalhazard)anditshouldreceivethemostattention.•Heinrichfeltthatthepersonresponsibleatacompanyforlosscontrolshouldbeinterestedinallfivefactors,butbeconcernedprimarilywithaccidentsandtheproximatecausesofthoseaccidents.•Heinrichalsoemphasizedthataccidents,notinjuriesorpropertydamage,shouldbethepointofattack.–Anaccidentisanyunplanned,uncontrolledeventthatcouldresultinpersonalinjuryorpropertydamage.Forexample,ifapersonslipsandfalls,aninjurymayormaynotresult,butanaccidenthastakenplace.ClevelandStateUniversityWorkZoneSafetyandEfficiencyTransportationCenterSection3AccidentTheoriesClevelandStateUniversityWorkZoneSafetyandEfficiencyTransportationCenterSection3AccidentTheoriesHeinrich’sDominoTheory–CorrectiveActionSequence(Thethree“E”s)•Engineering–Controlhazardsthroughproductdesignorprocesschange•Education–Trainworkers...
