Accidents — Causes and Prevention: In-depth

Summary

Definitions of accidents include the following.

• An event which is unplanned, unintended and unexpected. The outcome of this event depends upon the nature of the accident and the forces and energies involved.

• An unforeseen or unintended exposure to risk. This may either be to a risk that has not been identified or to a risk that has been identified but not adequately controlled.

Accidents seldom have one single cause. In almost all cases, a number of factors will have contributed to an accident occurring.