Methodological considerations in using AcciMaps and the Risk Management Framework to analyse large-scale systemic failures

In this paper we describe our use of the AcciMap and Risk Management (ActorMap) framework (RMF) to analyse two recent accidents - the infection outbreaks which occurred at the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust and the 2005 Stockwell Shooting incident. Previous work using AcciMaps and the RMF is described and reviewed in section 2 of the paper. We then describe the case studies followed by an account of our goals and the procedure used to carry out the accident analyses (section 3). The differences in our use of the methods are described in section 4 of the paper. Finally, we reflect on these differences in order to develop of a set of criteria which could be used to scope more detailed guidelines for the selection and use of the two methods.