Author(s): Roli Dave, Vivek Khanzode, Rauf Iqbal & Vikram Neekkhra
Accident causation models (or theories) provides theoretical foundation to safety science, by offering a theoretical framework of failure analysis and prevention. Literature presents worksystem failure analysis models based on three schools of thoughts- (a) Human as cause (b) System as cause (c) System-Person interaction as cause. In this study, various models under these paradigms such as Human-Machine model (1980), Interaction and Coupling Model (1984), Swiss Cheese Model (1990), Dominos theory model (1998), Entropy model (2003), Human error reliability assessment model (1990), Descriptive Human Machine model (2003) and Random cluster model (2017) are systematically appraised. These seminal models examine one or more essential components of worksystem and interactive effects between them: human, machine, workspace, work environment, and work organization. With growing technology and complexity in worksystem, any singular approach is inadequate to evaluate worksystem failures. The evaluation in this study revealed that Leamon’s Human-machine model (1980) is the most appropriate and fundamental worksystem model, that gives holistic explanation of all components of worksystem and inter-component interactions. To strengthen this belief, this paper explains failure analysis of Lion Air-610 air crash (2018) with the Leomon’s Human- machine worksystem model. Some lacunaes were seen in Leamon’s model in light of highly complex and automated worksystem, that demands some future research on worksystem models.