H. W. Heinrich, Assistant Superintendent Engineering and Inspection Division, The Travelers Insurance Company is best known as the “Father of Industrial Safety”. Much of what he developed in the 1920s-1950s can still be applied today. He was a true pioneer in our profession, but it seems there are some in the profession today that want to throw out all of his work. From claiming his “pyramid” and “domino” theories are flawed and blames the worker for accidents. Much of this debate is on a flawed understanding of what Mr. Heinrich truly meant in his work. Yes, he was the first to assess that unsafe acts were the leading cause of accidents. But only 1 of his 5 dominos in his theory was “unsafe acts,” and he was unequivocal in his books about who is responsible for the unsafe acts and the fact that investigations need to understand why those acts were being committed. (emphasis added by me)
