摘要：A range of methods for accident investigation have been published. They focus on different aspects and provide support in various respects to the entire investigation process. Previous research has examined strengths and weaknesses of methods in analytical terms, but few or none so far have studied their capability to support the accident investigation process. During a number of training courses on advanced accident investigation methodology, held annually at Karlstad University since 2003, systematic tests of nine accident investigation methods were performed. The methods’ process supporting properties were qualitatively evaluated against a general model of the investigation process. The results show that none of the methods provide strong support for all steps of the investigation process. A few methods, including STEP and Deviation analysis, however, provide a relatively strong support for certain key elements of the process. Most methods are supportive to the analysis phase, but less supportive to the planning and concluding phases. This in turn implies that several methods should be termed accident analysis methods rather than accident investigation methods. The results also point to differences in analytical principles and output formats, which also affect their usefulness.
关键词：Accident investigation; method evaluation; investigation process
