ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book discusses a theory of disaster to understand the causes of a failure and explains why the author has chosen to use Barry Turner's much quoted but under-utilised Disaster Incubation Theory rather than any of the other contenders. The precipitating event for any events is seen to be the moment that control is lost at the level deemed critical. One of the key difficulties in determining the precipitating event is the dividing line between what is normal and what is abnormal. It is recognition of the abnormal rather than the normal that provides a warning of failure. The book explains Turner's Disaster Incubation Theory and explores how it has been applied to broaden our understanding of it by using examples. Many inquiry reports blame managers for the failures of foresight.
