The Accident Evolution and Barrier Function (AEB) Model Applied to Incident Analysis in the Processing Industries

Abstract

This study develops a theoretical model for accident evolutions and how they can be arrested. The model describes the interaction between technical and human-organizational systems which may lead to an accident. The analytic tool provided by the model gives equal weight to both these types of systems and necessitates simultaneous and interactive accident analysis by engineers and human factors specialists. It can be used in predictive safety analyses as well as in post hoc incident analyses. To illustrate this, the AEB model is applied to an incident reported by the nuclear industry in Sweden. In general, application of the model will indicate where and how safety can be improved, and it also raises questions about issues such as the cost, feasibility, and effectiveness of different ways of increasing safety.