A MUST READ for ALL Safety Pro’s
The GUIDANCE ON INVESTIGATING AND ANALYZING HUMAN AND ORGANIZATIONAL FACTORS ASPECTS OF INCIDENTS AND ACCIDENTS is a report published by ENERGY INSTITUTE, LONDON. Simply attributing incidents/accidents to human error is not adequate; human factors aspects should be investigated such that lessons are learned to prevent recurrence. Each incident or accident is a learning opportunity, but one that can be wasted unless the effort put into investigating and analyzing it focuses on discovering its true underlying causes rather than on the people directly involved and the immediate causes of their failure. Whilst many petroleum and allied industry businesses investigate and analyze both incidents and accidents – whether with major hazards or occupational potential – human and organizational factors aspects are rarely addressed enough. This is particularly true for non-engineering aspects of HSE’s priority human factors issues, such as supervision and organizational culture. The problem is compounded by the volume of tools available to investigate and analyze incidents, many of which have some good points; however, none of them presents an ideal solution. This guidance document has been developed following an extensive review of the literature on accident investigation, as well as from interviews and discussion with users and developers of these investigation and analysis methods. Some of the interviewees provided worked examples or case studies illustrating how the methods are used in practice. This publication is aimed at anyone who is involved in an incident/accident investigation or analysis either as the lead investigator or part of the supporting team. The guidance has been devised for use by the experienced or novice user although it should be of most value to those who have experience in health and safety issues.
