A really interesting, but challenging, read about the ontological status of ‘root causes’ and more pointedly, the problem of infinite regression. The author also proposes some stop rules to help navigate infinite regression. I’ve previously posted articles critical of the status of ‘root causes’, who argue it is more a process of implicit or explicit… Continue reading The issues of ‘root causes’ and infinite regression (the endless search for the causes of causes)
Tag: root cause
“there is no such thing as a root cause [and therefore] there is technically no such thing as the beginning of a mishap” — Dekker
Extracts from Dekker’s work about the ontological and empirical shakiness of ‘root causes’. I’ve taken material from two versions of The Field Guide to Understanding Human Error (Investigations). In Dekker’s view: · “There is no ‘root’ cause” (or ‘root causes’) · Given the multiple angles and interactions in complex systems, you “can really construct “causes” from everywhere”… Continue reading “there is no such thing as a root cause [and therefore] there is technically no such thing as the beginning of a mishap” — Dekker
Root-Causal Factors: Uncovering the Hows & Whys of Incidents
This 2016 article from Fred Manuele explores some facets of causality in investigations. It’s based mainly on two key sources: Hollnagel’s 2004 ‘Barriers and accident prevention’ and Dekker’s 2006 ‘Field Guide to Understanding Human Error’. Won’t be much new for most but has some nice arguments from authors like Hollnagel, Dekker and Leveson. First he… Continue reading Root-Causal Factors: Uncovering the Hows & Whys of Incidents
Unveiling Untapped Potential: Leveraging Accident Narratives for Enhanced Construction Safety Management
This study explored the value and insights derived from investigation reports, comparing tabulated data vs extracted narratives. It was interested in what sorts of trends and insights about risk factors could be derived from either data stream. Their method to extract the info was tested against 400 OSHA reports. For context: · Tabular data is… Continue reading Unveiling Untapped Potential: Leveraging Accident Narratives for Enhanced Construction Safety Management
SafetyInsights.org 