"This book is a tremendous blend of hard core technical analysis coupled with case studies of industrial accidents that have been brought to public attention. Throw in a sprinkling of discussion on organisational psychology, human factor studies and sociology and all the ingredients are there for an intriguing read. [...] This book is relevant to anyone interested in the fields of human factors; organisational risk assessment and accident investigation."
Martin Ralph in WESTERN AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH, October 2007

"This very readable book, by a specialist in the human factors aspects of accident causation, describes how disasters and serious accidents result from recurring, but potentially avoidable human errors. It shows that human error is not inevitable, but rather the inevitable consequence of defective systems. It also shows how the blame culture hinders a proper asessment of the root cause of many past accidents... I cannot recommend this book highly enough."
- Donald Muir in HEALTH AND SAFETY AT WORK, December 2004

"This book sheds light not only on why human errors occur, but also on what preventive actions can be successfully employed."
- PROFESSIONAL SAFETY, July 2004

"The author shows that below the obvious immediate causes of accidents, such as an operator closing the wrong valve or a train driver passing a red signal, there are underlying or root causes such as poor design or poor methods of working...... a good book..."
Trevor Kletz in THE CHEMICAL ENGINEER, IChemE, March 2004

Book Description

Understand how to improve safety by focussing on systems, not people