Systemic factors in workplace accidents
An umbrella review of series injuries and fatalities
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22205293 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Elissa Dabkowski (0000-0003-1199-0698, Federation University), Joanne E Porter (0000-0002-1784-3165, Federation University, corresponding author), Warren Smith (0000-0002-6799-1780), W S Smith (Systems Analytics (United States)), Alex Fernando (Systems Analytics (United States)), Liz Seaward (Federation University), Megan Simic (0000-0002-6589-1284, Federation University) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 12 |
| Pages | 101944 |
| Publication date | 2025-01-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Social Sciences & Humanities Open (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2590-2911 • E-ISSN: 2590-2911 |
| Publisher | Elsevier BV (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.ssaho.2025.101944 |
| OpenAlex | W4414079355 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 23 |
Increasingly the complexities of organisational systems and the systemic nature of serious workplace injuries and fatalities are characterised by unpredictable outcomes. A complex systems thinking approach is needed to identify and analyse system interactions and systemic causal factors to explore the connections between people, technology and organisational systems and the incidence of workplace accidents. This umbrella review aimed to analyse the peer-reviewed systematic review literature related to accident causation for serious workplace accidents and fatalities to develop an understanding of the systemic causal factors across a range of complex systems. Some electronic databases were searched using the key search terms “accident causation factors”, “accident∗”, “fatalit∗”, “work∗” and their variations between 2000 and 2022. The selected papers underwent screening, eligibility and quality appraisal process using checklist for systematic reviews and research syntheses. Following the systematic process, a total of 13 papers were included in the total data set. The studies originated from a variety of workplaces such as industry, aviation, mining, maritime and construction industries. The most common contributing factors were sleep deprivation, fatigue and substance abuse whereas organisational factors such as management systems, resources and equipment as resulting in significant workplace incidents. This review identified that human errors and organisational and system factors were the main source of accident causation across multiple industries. The importance of learning from incidents and need for more sophisticated reporting systems was identified as being essential to change workplace culture and safety
Causation · Checklist · Critical appraisal · Occupational safety and health · Systematic review · Systems thinking · Human Factors and Ergonomics · Occupational Health and Safety Research · Quality and Safety in Healthcare · Risk and Safety Analysis
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |