Accident/Incident Theory of Accident Causation Explained
This paper examines the accident/incident theory of accident causation, positioning it among the seven major theories cited in occupational safety literature. The paper begins with an overview of the human factors theory, upon which the accident/incident theory builds, and then identifies three additional elements the latter introduces: ergonomic traps, the decision to err, and systems failure. The author argues that the accident/incident theory is superior to alternatives such as domino theory, systems theory, and behavioral theory because it accounts for both human limitations and systemic design flaws. The paper concludes that, since all work systems are ultimately designed by humans, a theory centered on human factors and their extensions provides the most comprehensive framework for understanding and preventing workplace accidents.
- Introduction to Accident Causation Theories: Overview of seven accident causation theories
- The Human Factors Theory Foundation: Human factors theory and its three error categories
- Key Elements of the Accident/Incident Theory: Ergonomic traps, decision to err, systems failure
- Why the Accident/Incident Theory Is Most Applicable: Argument for theory's superiority over alternatives
- Conclusion: Synthesis of theory's comprehensive explanatory power
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What makes this paper effective
- The paper clearly situates its chosen theory within the broader landscape of seven accident causation theories, giving readers useful context before narrowing focus.
- It builds logically from the human factors theory to the accident/incident theory, showing how the latter extends rather than replaces the former.
- The author provides a concise direct quotation from a primary source (Goetsch, 2010) to anchor the definition before elaborating in their own words.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates comparative evaluation: rather than simply describing the accident/incident theory in isolation, the author positions it against competing theories and explicitly justifies the selection with reasoned argument. This technique — summarize alternatives, select one, and defend the choice — is especially effective in short analytical essays where space limits deep coverage of every option.
Structure breakdown
The paper follows a tight five-part structure: (1) a brief orientation to the field of accident causation theories; (2) a foundation section on the human factors theory that the chosen theory builds upon; (3) a detailed breakdown of the three new elements the accident/incident theory adds; (4) a justification section explaining why this theory outperforms alternatives; and (5) a conclusion that synthesizes the main points. This structure is well-suited to short analytical essays that require both description and evaluation.
Introduction to Accident Causation Theories
The accident/incident theory is one of the major theories developed in the literature to provide a model for accident causation. The theory has been defined as an extension of the human factors theory of accident causation. Therefore, to understand the accident/incident theory fully, an overview of the human factors theory will first be provided. The accident/incident theory works to fill in some of the gaps that have prevented a human factors approach from being able to fully explain how many accidents occur. The theory adds several dimensions to the previous model, such as consideration of ergonomic traps, the decision to err, and systems failure, among others (Duffy, n.d.).
There are roughly seven different theories of accident causation that are typically cited in the literature. These include the domino theory, which focuses on mistakes; systems theory, which looks at the broader system in a holistic fashion; and behavioral theory, which focuses on the roles of the human participants, among others. However, the accident/incident theory has the greatest applicability because it combines many of the factors contained in the other theories that have been presented.
The Human Factors Theory Foundation
The accident/incident theory has been defined as follows: "The accident/incident theory of accident causation is an extension of the human factors theory. It introduces such new elements as ergonomic traps, the decision to err, and systems failures" (Goetsch, 2010).
The human factors theory focuses on both the human dimension of a situation and the system within which the individual must interact in order to complete desired tasks. This theory categorizes human errors into three types: an individual can become overloaded in their work; they can respond with an inappropriate action to what the situation calls for; and a worker can be placed in an inappropriate situation due to a lack of training or another relevant factor (Duffy, n.d.).
References
Duffy, S. (n.d.). Theories of accident causation. Cleveland State University.
Goetsch, D. (2010). Occupational safety and health. Pearson.
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