Models of accident causation and their application: Review and reappraisal

Abstract

Numerous accident causation models have been developed, but little effort has been devoted toward systematically evaluating their potential strengths and methods of application. In this paper, 54 different accident causation models and 16 methods of application are reviewed. The accident causation models were divided into three groups: general models of the accident process, models of human error and unsafe behavior, and models of human injury mechanics. Models of human injury mechanics were particularly well-developed and required only rudimentary forms of task analysis to guide the development of safer working conditions. The general models of the accident process were applied extensively in the surveyed application methods. However, models of human error and unsafe behavior were applied only in a very rudimentary form. This in part appears to explain certain deficiencies in traditional hazard analysis.