The Causes of Severe Accidents in the Andalusian Manufacturing Sector: The Role of Human Factors in Official Accident Investigations

摘要

This study examines the associations between worker characteristics and accident causation. It is based on the causes identified in the accidents investigated in the manufacturing sector of Andalusia ( Spain) from 2004 to 2011 by the Labour Authority. The method used to assess the association between the categorical variables related to worker characteristics and types of causes is the phi coefficient test for each specific combination of categories of the variables. The main results are as follows. For young workers, the most likely causes include being assigned a task without the proper qualifications, using inappropriate work methods, and misunderstanding instructions. For low-experience workers, the most likely cause is a lack of experience. For nonmanual qualified workers, the most likely causes include performing tasks without proper experience or personal protective equipment and performing nonroutine tasks. This differential causation found, depending on worker characteristics, can be used to design more effective preventive programs. (C) 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.