Practical difficulties arise during the investigation and reporting of most accidents. These difficulties include the determination of the scope of the phenomenon to investigate, the identification of the data required, documentation of the findings, development of recommendations based on the accident findings, and preparation of the deliverables at the end of the investigation. These difficulties reflect differences in the purposes for the investigations, which in turn reflect different perceptions of the accident phenomenon. They can lead to questionable data for accident research and other end uses. Five underlying theories about the nature of the accident phenomenon are presented, and the implications of these different theories for accident research are discussed. Increased awareness of accident theories and increased dialogue with investigators is proposed.
Samenvatting