Analysing accident reports using structured and formal methods

Formal methods are proposed as a means to improve accident reports, such as the report into the 1996 fire in the Channel Tunnel between the UK and France. The size and complexity of accident reports create difficulties for formal methods, which traditionally suffer from problems of scalability and poor readability. This thesis demonstrates that features of an engineering-style formal modelling process, particularly the structuring of activity and management of information, reduce the impact of these problems and improve the accuracy of formal models of accident reports. This thesis also contributes a detailed analysis of the methodological requirements for constructing accident report models. Structured, methodical construction and mathematical analysis of the models elicits significant problems in the content and argumentation of the reports. Once elicited, these problems can be addressed. This thesis demonstrates the benefits and limitations of taking a wider scope in the modelling process than is commonly adopted for formal accident analysis. We present a deontic action logic as a language for constructing models of accident reports. Deontic action models offer a novel view of the report, which highlights both the expected and actual behaviour in the report, and facilitates examination of the conflict between the two. This thesis contributes an objective analysis of the utility of both deontic and action logic operators to the application of modelling accident reports. A tool is also presented that executes a subset of the logic, including these deontic and action logic operators

Understanding accident investigators : a study of the required skills and behaviours for effective UK inspectors of accidents

In the UK, accidents associated with maritime, aviation and rail transport are conducted by the Inspectors of Accidents at the Marine, Air and Rail Accident Investigation Branches. A review of current academic literature provides little insight into the qualities and attributes essential for the role of accident investigator. A wealth of material exists about accidents themselves but as yet, a study into the profile of the accident investigator has not been conducted. This research sought to determine the requisite skills and behaviours of an effective accident investigator based upon a three-phased, primarily qualitative, methodology. Content analysis was used to determine task and non-task specific themes from semistructured interviews conducted with accident investigators from the UK and the US, the findings of which are characterized by individualism and variability: the former having implications for effective teamwork and the latter indicating the paucity of structured analysis processes in use, which would lead to reproducible and transparent results. Repertory Grid interviews elicited five competency themes and one hundred attendant behavioural indicators which were employed during the final phase of the research to determine their relative importance in terms of recruitment, training and the superior investigator. The findings showed that it was believed essential to consider interpersonal and communication skills, cognitive abilities and personal attributes during recruitment and that technical skills were deemed to be most amenable to change through training interventions with personal abilities least likely. Further thematic analysis of highly rated behavioural indicators showed an emphasis on report writing and dealing with people. These findings have implications for recruitment with a need for non-technical competencies such as report writing and the ability to deal with people to be more prevalent in selection testing and decision-making. No specific skills or behaviours were found to distinguish superior performance in investigation, instead requiring a balance of competencies. With no defining threshold, the researcher proposed that superior performance should be measured "relative to mission" and is more usefully thought of an added value continuum rather than a set of discrete skills and behaviours. Evidence was provided to demonstrate how the organizational structure and philosophy influenced the working styles of the Inspectorate and therefore the expected skills and behaviours. The researcher advocates the combination of the competency framework and behavioural indicators derived with an extant Branch competence measure to strengthen the tools whilst responding to a call in the literature for a more blended approach to determining competences and competencies.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo