The case for research into the zero accident vision

This discussion paper is written out of a concern. We noticed that many companies with a good safety reputation have adopted a zero accident vision, yet there is very little scientific research in this field. The zero accident vision addresses the accidents causing deaths and severe injuries among company staff. In Finland, where more than 280 companies are currently a member of the Finnish ‘Zero Accident Forum’, we see that this has supported the member companies to realize significant safety improvements over time, even though their safety performance was already much better than the national average when they joined the Forum (Virta et al., 2009). We therefore make a call to the safety research community to undertake research to better understand and support safety strategies based on ZAV.

► There is a need for new approaches to attain progress in safety performance.
► Increasingly industrial companies have successfully adopted a zero accident vision.
► The zero accident vision implies a commitment strategy for safety promotion.
► The zero accident vision is based on a belief that all accidents are preventable.
► A call is made for research on the impacts and qualities of the zero accident vision.