Who proposed the axiom of industrial safety linking injuries to sequences of factors?

Who proposed the axiom of industrial safety linking injuries to sequences of factors?

• A. H. W. Heinrich
• B. Bird
• C. Loftus
• D. Mary Anderson

Answer: (A)

The main concept tested is the domino theory of accident causation: injuries arise from a chain of sequential factors, and removing any one link in that chain can prevent the injury. This idea was proposed by H. W. Heinrich, who framed accidents as the result of a series of cause-and-effect events—unsafe acts, unsafe conditions, and other contributing factors that culminate in an injury. Because the injury is the final link in a predictable sequence, safety efforts focus on interrupting the chain early—addressing unsafe conditions, changing unsafe acts, and preventing the events that lead to an accident. This model became foundational in industrial safety programs, guiding training and incident-prevention strategies by emphasizing that preventing even one step in the sequence can stop the injury from occurring. The other names referenced aren’t associated with this specific sequence-based theory: Bird contributed later refinements to accident causation models, while Loftus and Mary Anderson are known for work outside this safety framework.

The main concept tested is the domino theory of accident causation: injuries arise from a chain of sequential factors, and removing any one link in that chain can prevent the injury. This idea was proposed by H. W. Heinrich, who framed accidents as the result of a series of cause-and-effect events—unsafe acts, unsafe conditions, and other contributing factors that culminate in an injury. Because the injury is the final link in a predictable sequence, safety efforts focus on interrupting the chain early—addressing unsafe conditions, changing unsafe acts, and preventing the events that lead to an accident.

This model became foundational in industrial safety programs, guiding training and incident-prevention strategies by emphasizing that preventing even one step in the sequence can stop the injury from occurring. The other names referenced aren’t associated with this specific sequence-based theory: Bird contributed later refinements to accident causation models, while Loftus and Mary Anderson are known for work outside this safety framework.