ACCIDENT ANALYSIS AND BARRIER FUNCTIONS

Abstract

This report presents an analysis of the barrier concept, as it has been used in accident analysis. On the most basic level, the function of a barrier is either to prevent an action from taking place, or protect the system and the people in it from the consequences. Even though the concept of a barrier has been used in accident analysis for more than 20 years, there have only been a few attempts of formalising the concept and of developing systematic classifications of barriers. After reviewing the main prior treatments of the barrier concept, a systematic classification is proposed based on the distinction between a barrier system and a barrier function. Four different barrier systems are defined, called physical, functional, symbolic, and immaterial. The use of this classification is illustrated by several examples. The report continues by considering the relation between accidents and barrier analysis. It is proposed that a special form of event representation is used, called an accident tree. The accident tree combines the advantages of the classical fault tree with the time line. The use of the accident tree for barrier analysis is illustrated by two larger examples. Finally, the relation between the barrier concept and the error modes used by the Cognitive Reliability and Error Analysis Method (CREAM) is discussed. This leads to the need to distinguish between personal and systemic error modes, and a proposal for a revised classification is presented.

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