Question

Heinrich’s domino theory and Systems Theory. Which analysis was easier to apply?

Answer 1

Domino theory is easier to apply. According to Heinrich’s domino theory, a series of succession causation incident leads to the last occurrence of the accident and there is a chain of linked relations between the accident as well as the causation factors. There are five factors in the domino theory and it includes ancestry and social environment, fault of the person, unsafe act/mechanical or physical hazard, accident and injury. The injury is caused by the action of the preceding factors and according to the theory the accident can be prevented by eliminating even one of these factors. In systems theory, the systems are viewed as interrelated components that are kept in a state of dynamic equilibrium with the help of feedback loops and it continually adapts to achieve the ends and to react to changes in itself and its environment. The accident occurs when the feedback function fails to maintain safety when the performance changes over time to achieve the goals. System theory may be difficult to apply as it explains the cause of accidents by interconnecting the components in the system. The difficulty may increase with the complexity of the systems. But as per domino theory, the elimination of certain factor help to avoid accidents which makes it easier as they need to focus only on important factors to avoid accidents instead of monitoring the whole system.