Accident Investigations and Safety Management

Abstract

Accident investigations have been influential in the evolution of safety management systems. Lessons learned through accident reports have shaped and evolved safety science toward a better understanding of how accidents happen. Review of the investigation reports of several major process‐related accidents shows that both cultural and technological problems have been the primary root causes of accidents. Moreover, it has been demonstrated in several accident reports that the accident might have been prevented if the lessons learned from previous accidents were implemented in the safety management systems. This article provides an overview of the main accident investigation methods. Common pitfalls of accident investigations are also highlighted to help investigators to implement a more effective investigation. Finally, the main processes of a safety management system and the importance of collecting and analyzing data from all aspects of safety management are also discussed.

A Review of US Army Unmanned Aerial Systems Accidents

“…Through examination of recent UAS accident reports, the aspects of the human element that may have influenced the outcome of an accident can be extracted and used to determine what factors, as available in the reports, contribute most significantly. Moreover, a comparison of crew type (ground vs. aircrew) in potential accident causal factors can aid in establishing a basic understanding of potential problematic areas, identify lessons learned, and further develop remedial steps for avoiding similar future accidents (Khan & Hashemi, 2018). Furthermore, documenting changes in frequency of accidents due to the human element enables a review of how accident causes and their distributions change as technology develops.…”