ABSTRACT
In a Safety–I view, the focus is on adverse events. This can be as either the absolute number of adverse events or as the relative number. The focus on the absolute number is a corollary of the myth that all accidents are preventable, usually expressed as the goal or ideal of 'zero accidents', 'zero work site injuries', or even 'zero car accidents'. The idea of zero accidents can be found in the mission statements of many large companies, as well as a service offered by numerous consultants. When an accident has happened, when something has gone wrong and there is an undesired outcome, the initial reaction is to try to find out what happened and why. This traditionally means trying to find – or produce – an acceptable explanation for what happened, specifically to find a cause or set of causes. The predominant approach to safety relies on analysis, as in accident analysis or risk analysis.
