mr henderson
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| posted on 5/12/08 at 09:57 PM |
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Can accidents be prevented?
I have a theory, not fully developed yet, that accidents cannot be prevented.
I think that if an event of the sort that would normally be described as an accident could be prevented, then it isn't an accident but a
predictable event.
For instance, I walk across the living room and bang my leg into a table. Now, is that an accident? Yes, I think so. Could it have been prevented?
Only by predicting that it would happen, then by removing either the table from the living room or by removing my need to walk across it, or possibly
by my being careful to avoid it. If none of these prevention procedures had been carried out, then it wouldn't have been an accident if I
didn't bump into it, and a predictable event if I did.
Any agreement on this?
John
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scootz
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| posted on 5/12/08 at 10:01 PM |
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They can indeed be prevented by taking careful measures... you just don't know it was prevented because it never happened!
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jambojeef
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| posted on 5/12/08 at 10:10 PM |
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you need a hobby
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Miks15
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| posted on 5/12/08 at 10:18 PM |
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way too much thought in to this!
But yes your theory sounds about right
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stevebubs
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| posted on 5/12/08 at 10:22 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by jambojeef
you need a hobby
No. He needs more alcohol.
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Liam
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| posted on 5/12/08 at 10:30 PM |
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Why do you insist a predictable event can't be an accident? An accident is more accurately defined as an unintentional event, and may or
may not be predictable. So no, I dont agree 
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clairetoo
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| posted on 5/12/08 at 10:35 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by stevebubs
quote:
Originally posted by jambojeef
you need a hobby
No. He needs more alcohol.
Or less..................
Its cuz I is blond , innit
Claire xx
Will weld for food......
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Peteff
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| posted on 5/12/08 at 11:07 PM |
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Does an accident always have to be something that ends in misfortune? If I accidentally find money or similar would I have been thankful if it had
been prevented?
yours, Pete
I went into the RSPCA office the other day. It was so small you could hardly swing a cat in there.
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Davey D
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| posted on 5/12/08 at 11:59 PM |
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When i had a crash a few years ago, i ran into the back of someone on a motorway when the traffic in the outside lane ground to a halt quicker than i
realised.... normal people would call it " An Accident"....
Not the POlice officer that interviewed me at the scene of the accident... He told me there is no such thing as "An Accident" as no matter
what the incident is someone is always to blame  ..... Right
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oldtimer
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| posted on 6/12/08 at 12:01 AM |
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I think there has to be some element of unavoidability for it to be a true accident. Otherwise is it not just the result of complacency?
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Simon
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| posted on 6/12/08 at 12:24 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by clairetoo
quote:
Originally posted by stevebubs
quote:
Originally posted by jambojeef
you need a hobby
No. He needs more alcohol.
Or less..................
Maybe it's attention seeking or a variation of the I'M BORED...
thread
ATB
Simon
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Richard Quinn
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| posted on 6/12/08 at 10:02 AM |
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I'm with Scootz and Liam on this one.
You have obviously undertaken a basic hazard identification and identified the hazard associated with bumping into the table. You now need to
undertake a risk assessment to establish both the likelihood and severity and determine whether you can live with this risk or not. Every time you
cross your living room and don't hit the table you need to consider this to be a "near miss" and capture this data. Statistically
you will only have so many "near misses" before your "predictable event" occurs. Without recognising these "near
misses" your "predictable event" does not exist until the "accident" occurs. By recognising the "near
misses" you can update your hazard identification and risk assessment and change your method of working to reduce the risk by removing the
table, changing your route across the living room or I can provide you with red and white barriers to set up a designated pedestrian route across the
living room.
If two cars are heading towards each other on a single carriageway, would or should we consider a head-on crash to be a predictable event until they
have safely passed each other? Hopefully, driving on opposite sides of the road should reduce this possibility but do we consider each vehicle we pass
to be a succesful non-accident or does it go largely unnoticed? Did you stay on the left because that is what our Highway Code says, or did you do it
to avoid a head-on collision, or do you not think about it?
In some industries the non-accident situation is considered to be the normal state and an accident is the result of a failure state. Then there is the
whole issue of root cause of the failure state. The root cause of a failure state is quite often so far removed from the resulting accident that it
is only obvious when viewed through special "hindsight glasses" which have an amazing ability to pick out the obvious. Walking into your
table then putting these glasses on would immediately make you wonder why you had done it as, in hindsight, it was glaringly obvious that it was going
happen at some point. How many times have you heard someone say "I could have predicted that it was going to happen"? The only downside of
these glasses to reflect on your own accident is that they do tend to make you look a little stupid most of the time.
Sorry, not enough sleep!! I spend too much time worrying. After all, we spend 80% of our time worrying about the 20% of stuff over which we have very
little influence.
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splitrivet
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| posted on 6/12/08 at 10:50 AM |
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^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ My head hurts.
Cheers,
Bob
I used to be a Werewolf but I'm alright nowwoooooooooooooo
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Richard Quinn
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| posted on 6/12/08 at 10:53 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by splitrivet
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ My head hurts.
Cheers,
Bob
Yes, but did you see it coming and was it preventable ??? 
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mr henderson
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| posted on 6/12/08 at 11:48 AM |
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Some fascinating responses, thanks.
Cetainly a lot depends on one's definition of 'accident'.
I shall think about this some more, especially the next time I have one, unless I manage to prevent it, of course. In which case, as Scootz points
out, I won't know I had it (or rather, won't know I didn't have it, if it ever existed, possibly in a parallel universe, where it
did happen)
John
edited due to small accident during the input of my thoughts into the keyboard.
[Edited on 6/12/08 by mr henderson]
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