Role of beliefs in accident and risk analysis and prevention

This paper mainly deals with an old psychological theme, i.e., the impact of comprehensive reference systems such as belief systems and culture on safety and accident prevention. It is hypothesized that an understanding of the beliefs people hold about risks and the causes of accidents, as well as their perceptions of risk targets and the need for safety, are important prerequisites for effectively managing risk and designing preventive measures. This viewpoint is posited to be highly crucial today, especially in this era of globalization where workers from different backgrounds are relocating, and increasingly complex technology is being exported. Illustrations are given for both developing and developed countries. Different factors are shown to cause bias in accident explanation and risk perception. Among these, people’s beliefs about their own ability to cope and also their culture are described as important factors. Both defensive explanations of accidents and illusory or biased risk perception are shown to influence safety assessments and to have important implications for defining the best preventive actions and for writing relevant preventive communications.