Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Comparing a multi-linear (STEP) and systemic (FRAM) method for accident analysis

Herrera, I.A. and Woltjer, R. LU (2010) In Reliability Engineering and System Safety 95(12). p.1269-1275
Abstract
Accident models and analysis methods affect what accident investigators look for, which contributory factors are found, and which recommendations are issued. This paper contrasts the Sequentially Timed Events Plotting (STEP) method and the Functional Resonance Analysis Method (FRAM) for accident analysis and modelling. The main issue addressed in this paper is the comparison of the established multilinear method STEP with the new systemic method FRAM and which new insights the latter provides for accident analysis in comparison to the former established multilinear method. Since STEP and FRAM are based on a different understandings of the nature of accidents, the comparison of the methods focuses on what we can learn from both methods,... (More)
Accident models and analysis methods affect what accident investigators look for, which contributory factors are found, and which recommendations are issued. This paper contrasts the Sequentially Timed Events Plotting (STEP) method and the Functional Resonance Analysis Method (FRAM) for accident analysis and modelling. The main issue addressed in this paper is the comparison of the established multilinear method STEP with the new systemic method FRAM and which new insights the latter provides for accident analysis in comparison to the former established multilinear method. Since STEP and FRAM are based on a different understandings of the nature of accidents, the comparison of the methods focuses on what we can learn from both methods, how, when, and why to apply them. The main finding is that STEP helps to illustrate what happened, involving which actors at what time, whereas FRAM illustrates the dynamic interactions within sociotechnical systems and lets the analyst understand the how and why by describing nonlinear dependencies, performance conditions, variability, and their resonance across functions. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
and
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
performance variability, systemic models, non-linear models, functional resonance, accident analysis, accident modelling
in
Reliability Engineering and System Safety
volume
95
issue
12
pages
7 pages
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:77957138737
ISSN
0951-8320
DOI
10.1016/j.ress.2010.06.003
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
0480d1b2-86cb-4631-bc39-7c68a6e10610
date added to LUP
2024-03-05 19:54:40
date last changed
2024-03-07 14:55:14
@article{0480d1b2-86cb-4631-bc39-7c68a6e10610,
  abstract     = {{Accident models and analysis methods affect what accident investigators look for, which contributory factors are found, and which recommendations are issued. This paper contrasts the Sequentially Timed Events Plotting (STEP) method and the Functional Resonance Analysis Method (FRAM) for accident analysis and modelling. The main issue addressed in this paper is the comparison of the established multilinear method STEP with the new systemic method FRAM and which new insights the latter provides for accident analysis in comparison to the former established multilinear method. Since STEP and FRAM are based on a different understandings of the nature of accidents, the comparison of the methods focuses on what we can learn from both methods, how, when, and why to apply them. The main finding is that STEP helps to illustrate what happened, involving which actors at what time, whereas FRAM illustrates the dynamic interactions within sociotechnical systems and lets the analyst understand the how and why by describing nonlinear dependencies, performance conditions, variability, and their resonance across functions.}},
  author       = {{Herrera, I.A. and Woltjer, R.}},
  issn         = {{0951-8320}},
  keywords     = {{performance variability; systemic models; non-linear models; functional resonance; accident analysis; accident modelling}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{12}},
  pages        = {{1269--1275}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Reliability Engineering and System Safety}},
  title        = {{Comparing a multi-linear (STEP) and systemic (FRAM) method for accident analysis}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ress.2010.06.003}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.ress.2010.06.003}},
  volume       = {{95}},
  year         = {{2010}},
}