Accident investigations play a central role in efficient safety management and serve as a fundamental basis for learning from accidents and safety improvement (Kjellén, 2000; Rasmussen and Svedung, 2007; Stoop, 2004). An accident investigation can be performed in several ways, within different contexts and according to various procedures.
Several studies indicate that authorities and companies rarely use established accident investigations methods (Henderson et al., 2001; Roed-Larsen et al., 2004). However, in recent years interest in methods has increased considerably, at least in Sweden. A general impression is also that when a certain method is applied, the choice of method is made unreflected and without argumentation. The lack of consciously chosen methods may in turn negatively affect the accident investigation work and lessons learned from accidents (Benner, 1975; Frei et al., 2003; Zotov, 2000). Hence, this paper is based on the assumption that the use of systematized investigation methods will enhance quality and efficiency by supporting the investigative process, including its analytical parts.
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