The Accident Causation Model (or "Swiss Cheese Model") is a theoretical model that illustrates how accidents occur in organizations. The model focuses on both organizational hierarchy and human error. It postulates that the typical accident occurs because several (human) errors have occurred at all levels in the organizational hierarchy in a way that made such accident in avoidable. For example, decision makers may have made ill decisions when purchasing aircraft (fallible decisions), line management may have pushed for faster turnarounds (line management deficiencies), pilots may have felt pressurized to cope with a stressful climate, an unsafe culture and little rest (preconditions), the particular pilot who suffered the accident may have gotten distracted with other tasks three seconds prior to the accident (unsafe act), and the aircraft systems fail in providing unmistakable warnings of the danger (inadequate defenses).
Posted on: Wed, 05 Jun 2013 05:41:21 +0000