Engineering accidents in society: A comparison of Chinese and American railway accident investigation

Dazhou Wang and Tao Zhang

Technology in Society, 2015, vol. 43, issue C, 69-74

Abstract: Based on the investigation reports for two major railway accidents in China and the USA, as well as the analysis of related systems, this paper compares the differences between Chinese and American railway accident investigation modes along different dimensions. The four aspects attended to are the investigation purpose, institutional basis, scope and process, and type of conclusion. The results reveal the role of social factors in shaping the investigation pattern of engineering accidents, and show engineering accidents can serve as a window to understanding a society and the ways that learning from engineering accidents is a socially institutionalized process. A final discussion considers possible improvements that might be introduced into the Chinese mode of engineering accident investigation.

Keywords: Engineering accident; Engineering learning; Railway accident; Accident investigation; Institutional environment; China; US (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:teinso:v:43:y:2015:i:c:p:69-74

DOI: 10.1016/j.techsoc.2015.05.011

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