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Australian Energy Producers Journal Australian Energy Producers Journal Society
Journal of Australian Energy Producers
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Insights from meta-analyses of incidents

Maureen Hassall A *
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Minerals Industry Safety and Health Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld 4072, Australia.




Maureen Hassall is Professor and Director of the Minerals Industry Safety and Health Centre at the University of Queensland. She develops and delivers industry-focused research, training and expert consultancy projects that combine innovative and impactful human-centred design, risk management and safety engineering approaches to improve workers’ and companies’ health, safety, wellbeing and performance. Maureen’s academic work is motivated by 18 years working in a range of high hazard industries across a number of different countries. She holds Bachelors’ degrees in Engineering and Psychology, a Master’s in Business Administration and a PhD in Cognitive Systems Engineering. She is also a registered Professional and Chartered Engineer and a certified Ergonomist.

* Correspondence to: m.hassall1@uq.edu.au

Australian Energy Producers Journal 65, EP24209 https://doi.org/10.1071/EP24209
Submitted: 18 December 2024  Accepted: 7 March 2025  Published: 22 May 2025

© 2025 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing on behalf of Australian Energy Producers.

Abstract

Across the world, process safety incidents continue to occur at an unacceptably high rate. This paper explores the application of bowtie and AcciMap analyses to perform meta-analyses of these incidents. Bowties are used to investigate what insights can be derived about causes, consequences and barrier performance. AcciMap analysis is used to investigate what insights can be derived about organisational contributions to barrier performance during incidents. Based on the findings from these analyses, recommendations are made about future directions to develop more timely and effective learning from incident systems.

Keywords: AcciMap, bowtie, incident, investigation, process safety, risk control, risk management, safety, safety barrier.

Biographies

EP24209_B1.png

Maureen Hassall is Professor and Director of the Minerals Industry Safety and Health Centre at the University of Queensland. She develops and delivers industry-focused research, training and expert consultancy projects that combine innovative and impactful human-centred design, risk management and safety engineering approaches to improve workers’ and companies’ health, safety, wellbeing and performance. Maureen’s academic work is motivated by 18 years working in a range of high hazard industries across a number of different countries. She holds Bachelors’ degrees in Engineering and Psychology, a Master’s in Business Administration and a PhD in Cognitive Systems Engineering. She is also a registered Professional and Chartered Engineer and a certified Ergonomist.

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