Definitions, causes and examples

Accident: A misfortune or mishap especially if it causes an injury or death. It could also be explained as an unfortunate incident that happens unexpectedly and unintentionally resulting in injury or death.

Causes – Theory A and Theory B 

REASON (2000) differentiated two types of errors in the workplace that can cause accidents:

Theory A – when an accident is primarily caused by an INDIVIDUAL’s unsafe behaviour. 

• Sinking of the Titanic (1912) – it can be blamed on the captain of the ship because he overlooked realistic alternatives due to the illusion of invulnerability.
• Pacific Western Airline Crash (1978) – it can be blamed on the miscommunication between the pilots and the air traffic controller but also on the safety procedures not being followed.

Theory B – when an accident is primarily caused by unsafe SYSTEMS/PROCEDURES.

• Three Mile Island (1976) and Chernobyl (1986) – it can be blamed on the rapid rotation of shifts which did not allow the worker’s circadian rhythms to adjust and also on the poor layout of safety procedures.
• Herald of Free Enterprises (1987) – it can be blamed on poor system and safety procedures that were difficult to follow.