Swiss Cheese Model
Definition
James Reason's accident causation model representing each defensive barrier as a cheese slice with holes. An accident occurs when holes in successive slices momentarily align, allowing a hazard trajectory to pass all defences.
Related terms
- Active failure
- An error or rule violation by a front-line operator whose effects are felt immediately. Active failures are the triggers Reason calls 'unsafe...
- Blowout preventer (BOP)
- A large specialised valve or series of valves installed at the wellhead of an oil or gas well to seal, control, and...
- Bow-tie analysis
- A risk-visualisation method combining a fault tree (left of the bow-tie, hazard to critical event) with an event tree (right, critical event...
- Latent condition
- In Reason's model, a pre-existing organisational weakness (poor design, defective procedure, unrealistic scheduling, inadequate training) that lies dormant until aligned with other...
- Safety Management System (SMS)
- A formal, documented framework of policies, procedures, responsibilities, and performance monitoring through which an organisation identifies hazards, assesses risks, and manages safety...
Explained in
- Safety Management Systems and Systemic FailureJames Reason's accident causation model representing each defensive barrier as a cheese slice with holes. An accident occurs when holes in successive slices mo...