Learning from Accidents, Second Edition [Hardcover]

Trevor Kletz (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 075061952X | ISBN-13: 978-0750619523 | Publication Date: July 29, 1994 | Edition: 2

Accident investigation is like peeling an onion. Beneath one layer, of causes and recommendations, there are other, less superficial layers.The outer layers deal with the immediate technical causes while the inner layers are concerned with avoiding the hazards and with weaknesses in the management system. Often only the outer layers are considered and thus we fail to use all the information for which we have paid the high price of an accident.


This book aims to show, by analysing accidents that have occured, how we can learn more from them and thus be better able to prevent them occuring again. Looking at a wide range of accidents from the trivial to major disasters and covering the process industries, nuclear industry and transportation, the author analyses each accident in a practical and non-theoretical fashion and summarises each with a chain of events showing the prevention and mitigation which could have occured at every stage. At all times the book emphasises cause and prevention rather than human interest or cleaning up the mess. The chapter on Piper Alpha has been especially written for the book by Brian Appleton, one of the technical assessors of the official enquiry. Anyone involved in accident investigation and reporting of whatever sort and all those who work in industry, whether in design, operations or loss prevention will find this book full of invaluable guidance and advice.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Trevor Kletz's book makes an invaluable contribution to the systematic, professional and scientific approach to accident investigation'
THE CHEMICAL ENGINEER
'I would recommend this book for all those with responsibility for health and safety' CHEMISTRY AND INDUSTRY
Trevor Kletz's excellent publication ...the text is written in a style which is easy to understand, assimilate and put into practice. - Health and Safety Focus, September 1994 This is a valuable publication in a field of health and safety management which is increasing in importance.
- Safety and Health Practitioner, September 1994 - Health and Safety at Work, October 1994

From the Publisher

Fully revised and updated, the third edition of Learning from Accidents provides more information on accident investigation, including coverage of accidents involving liquefied gases, building collapse and other incidents that have occurred because faults were invisible (e.g. underground pipelines).By analysing accidents that have occurred Trevor Kletz shows how we can learn and thus be better able to prevent accidents happening again. Looking at a wide range of incidents, covering the process industries, nuclear industry and transportation, he analyses each accident in a practical and non-theoretical fashion and summarises each with a chain of events showing the prevention and mitigation which could have occurred at every stage. At all times Learning from Accidents, 3rd Edition emphasises cause and prevention rather than human interest or cleaning up the mess. Anyone involved in accident investigation and reporting of whatever sort and all those who work in industry, whether in design, operations or loss prevention will find this book full of invaluable guidance and advice. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Butterworth-Heinemann; 2 edition (July 29, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 075061952X
• ISBN-13: 978-0750619523
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,805,007 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

After graduating in chemistry at Liverpool University in 1944 Trevor Kletz joined Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) and spent eight years in research, sixteen in production management and the last fourteen as safety adviser to the Petrochemicals Division. In 1978 he was appointed an Industrial (part-time) Professor at Loughborough University, UK. On retiring from ICI in 1982 he joined the University full-time; in 1986 he became a visiting fellow and is now a visiting professor, and also an adjunct professor at the Mary Kay O'Connor Process Safety Center at Texas A&M University.
He has written ten books and many papers on loss prevention and process safety and the 5th edition of his best-selling book, What Went Wrong?, was published in 2009. He is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Institution of Chemical Engineers, the Royal Society of Chemistry (all UK) and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1997.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Involved in safety?You should read T.A.Kletz!, October 21, 2006

By 

Didier Bizzari "Didier Bizzarri" (Brussels, Belgium, Europe) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Learning from Accidents, Third Edition (Hardcover)

[previously : Didier Bizzarri ([e-mail]) (Liège, Belgium, Europe)]

I am surprised to see so few reviews for T.A.Kletz books.

If you are dealing with potentially hazardous installations or systems, and not only if you are an engineer, you should read some Kletz. Allways hinging his books around his very message, T.A.Kletz constantly gives interesting practical examples and fine advice, from his 40 years own experience. He 'dismounts' accidents, their causes, superficial and underlying down to the detail. He shows the different aspects of human/organisational responsibility in accidents and their prevention. After going through one of his books, "human error" never reads the same again. In "Learning from Accidents", he does follow that methodology for about ten famous accidents, various generic accidents and many incidents. He shows how major accidents come out of sequences of minor defficiencies and are helped by sleeping faults, poor management, poor procedures, poor incident reporting,... poor design... and poor remembrance of previous accidents/incidents.

If we don't learn from our mistakes, why bother making them?

;)