Components of a tool to address learning from accident investigation

This article presents the results of an analysis of reports from accident investigations, using a specific tool to analyze texts with the aim of demonstrating the premises for learning. Investigation reports are commonly presented as written texts, i.e. one consisting primarily of words and sentences, and occasionally including other elements such as pictures. It is therefore of interest to study the extent to which multimodal texts are able to transform knowledge gained from an investigation into a learning process by relevant organizations and persons. The empirical basis for this study comprises accident investigation reports provided by different actors (operator and authority) in the Norwegian oil and gas industry covering the same events. The main findings are that even though thorough investigation processes are documented in the studied cases, the texts as presented, and possibly also the writing processes, lack central elements necessary for producing texts with optimal learning potential. In particular, the stipulation of clearer goals for follow-up work by different actors, and also more involvement by the relevant actors, should be given attention in future investigations. Up to now the quality of investigation reports as texts has been poorly studied and understood. This article is a contribution to better understanding of investigation reports as texts for learning purposes.