Citation

Compes PC. J. Occup. Accid. 1982; 4(2-4): 105-119.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1982, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

A pressing need of effective accident research is given by the urgent demand for more successful accident prevention, this is proven by practical experiences. Accident research is a tool given by applied Safety Science. To provide a fundament of precise thinking, firstly terminology is an essential deal of it, defining terms like "accident", "risk", "safety" and "protection" in regard of practical working systems.Secondly, the methodology of accident prevention is to be designed, offering successful principles for safety strategy and safety tactics; accident research thus has to develop practicable measures for finding the causes of the total accident occurrence as well as the single accident event by risk evaluation. This is to be achieved by applying the techniques of accident epidemiology -- seeking for accident type concentrations with above average losses (= accident frequency times severity) -- and accident causality -- searching for the determining factors in the cause-effect-chain of such accident types; both the techniques are working in correlation using the statistical as well as the casuistic method to describe the interesting facts in the concerned system.Thirdly, accident research by applied safety science has to regard the complexity and complication of the man-machine-environment system in using as well a multidisciplinary structured approach by using all safety relevant components of related disciplines as applying the gained knowledge and experience for a polyvalent application as in traffic safety, occupational safety, environmental protection, energy supply etc.Finally, accident research has to solve the task by naming priorities in accident prevention according to the effective value of realizable safety measures conducted by moral, judicial and economic aspects, and respecting not only the urgency but as well the feasibility and opportunity in practising them."There is nothing as practical as a good theory"-accident research in modern aspects offers and deserves a chance to prove this saying.