A new accident causation model based on information flow and its application in Tianjin Port fire and explosion accident. (February 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wu, Chao; Huang, Lang
• Is Part Of: Reliability engineering & system safety. Volume 182(2019)
• Page Start: 73
• Page End: 85
• Publication Date: 2019-02
• Subjects: System safety -- Accident causation model -- Information flow -- Accident analysis; Reliability (Engineering) -- Periodicals; System safety -- Periodicals; Industrial safety -- Periodicals; Fiabilité -- Périodiques; Sécurité des systèmes -- Périodiques; Sécurité du travail -- Périodiques; 620.00452
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ress.2018.10.009
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0951-8320

Abstract

Highlights: The roles of information flow (IF) in system safety were confirmed. The principles of accident-causing were addressed from the perspective of IF. The system safety factors were classified at three levels and six aspects at each of them. The new model was constructed based on the hypothesis that any breakdown of IF is the potential causation of accidents. The new model was applied to the analysis of a catastrophically major accident happened in China. Abstract: Accident causation models can provide a framework of reference to help understand and explain how an accident occurs. The role of information flow (IF) in accident causation is profound. In this study, an accident causation model was developed and then validated to address the relevant accident-causing mechanisms based on IF. Three steps were followed to develop the new model. Firstly, the roles of IF in system safety were confirmed. Secondly, the principles of accident-causing mechanisms were addressed from the perspective of IF. Thirdly, the system safety factors were classified at the micro-, meso- and macro- levels. At each level, these factors were further divided into six information-centric aspects. The structure of the new model, known as the IF-based Accident-causing Model (IFAM), was constructed based on the hypothesis that any breakdown of IF at each level or between two adjacent levels of a system is the potential causation of accidents. To demonstrate the viability of IFAM, the Tianjin Port fire and explosion accident, which shocked the world and aroused widespread media attention, was selected as the case in this study. Results showed that this model can provide a new idea and method for accident analysis, as well as a new perspective for system safety investigation.