Conducting an Accident Investigation
Course 102
Safety Certified Supervisor Series

MODULE 5: DETERMINING SURFACE AND ROOT CAUSES

Old Theory - Worker Error

Old thinking about the causes of accidents assumes that the worker makes a choice to work in an unsafe manner. It implies that there are no outside forces acting upon the worker influencing his actions and that there are simple reasons for the accident. Old thinking also considers accidents as solely resulting from worker error: A lack of "common sense." The employee is the locus of "the problem." To prevent accidents, the employee must work more safely. This thinking results in blaming and short-term fixes: Inefficient, ineffective, and in the long run more expensive to implement and maintain.