Active Failure
Definition
An error or rule violation by a front-line operator whose effects are felt immediately. Active failures are the triggers Reason calls 'unsafe acts'; they represent the end of the accident chain, not its root.
- Actor
- Front-line operator
- Effect timing
- Immediate
- Terminology origin
- James Reason, 'unsafe acts'
- Position in chain
- End point, not the root cause
Common questions
Why do investigators avoid stopping analysis at the active failure?+
Focusing only on the front-line operator's error treats the symptom rather than the cause, since active failures are typically the last link in a chain of latent organisational conditions, such as poor training or design flaws, that made the error likely.
Can an incident occur with no active failure at all?+
Yes, latent conditions such as equipment design flaws or maintenance gaps can cause an incident on their own, though most accident models still describe an active failure as the immediate trigger that releases the accumulated latent risk.
Related terms
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- Bow-Tie Analysis
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- Latent Condition
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- Safety Management System (SMS)
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- Swiss Cheese Model
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