Human Behavior in Accident Causation

The direct and sometimes indirect causes of the majority of accidents are at-risk behavior. The reason(s) for the unsafe behavior can be attributed to a number of factors that influenced the errant behavior. Not all at-risk behavior results in an accident that causes injury.

At-risk behavior that results in an accident occurs when the individual:

1. is not aware of the hazard
2. does not fully understand the potential adverse consequences
3. believes the likelihood of the adverse consequences occurring is very low
4. is willing to risk the adverse consequences because the perceived benefit is more probable and more immediate (the risk/reward dilemma).

Examples of reasons the above situations occur are:

1. insufficient warning or instructions or inadequate training
2. inadequate warning sign/label/information and/or inadequate training
3. this is especially true if the person exhibited the unsafe behavior before or witnessed others doing it without adverse consequences
4. being able to finish a task faster, following unsafe directions or to avoid having to find the correct tool or PPE provides a more immediate and definite perceived benefit than the risk of injury

Extensive training and experience is required to identify the root causes of at-risk behavior. It is essential however if effective action is to be taken to prevent future accidents and identify responsible parties. General Health & Safety Services has over 30 years experience in root cause analysis. Our experts can perform the analysis or train your staff to perform it. We also employ a process that can proactively identify at-risk behavior before an injury occurs, thus making the root cause analysis even more beneficial.