Heinrich Revisited Truisms or Myths

Several of the premises about which validity was questioned in our discussions are found in the work of H. W. Heinrich as expressed in the four editions of his book Industrial Accident Prevention A Scientific Approach. My colleague suggested that I review the origin of those premises, how they changed over time, and their validity. Findings of that review are set forth in this chapter. 

Both the methods used by Heinrich to establish some of his premises and the premises themselves are questionable. Also, significant changes were made from edition to edition, without explanation. Hoping to achieve a better understanding of Heinrich s research, I attempted to locate his original files They no longer exist. Thus, only the data contained in Heinrich s books are available. His information-gathering methods, the 

Who was H. W. Heinrich He was one of the foremost pioneers in the field of accident prevention. Give him his due. My view is that, from the 1930s until today, he has had more influence than any other individual on the work of occupational safety practitioners. In my early years, I was influenced considerably by his writings. I still have a set of dominoes representing Heinrich s Accident Sequence. 

Herbert William Heinrich was bom in Bennington, Vermont in 1881. He began working as an apprentice in the machinist trade at age 16. At age 23, he became a Third Assistant Engineer. In 1918, he joined the U.S. Naval Reserve as a Lieutenant Junior Grade, was called to active duty as an Engineering Officer, and was discharged in 1919 with the rank of Senior Lieutenant. 

At the age of 32, he joined the Travelers Insurance Company at Hartford, Connecticut where (except for the period of active duty during World War I) he served until his retirement in 1956 at age 74. In 1925, he was promoted to assistant superintendent of the Engineering and Inspection Division. Heinrich conducted safety courses for students at New York University for more than 20 years, beginning in 1938. In 1942, he was appointed chairman of the War Advisory Board, Safety Section, providing assistance to the U.S. Army safety effort. In 1956, he was appointed chairman and president of the Uniform Boiler and Pressure Vessels Laws Society, an organization promoting the uniformity of laws governing the safety of steam boilers and pressure vessels in the United States and Canada. Heinrich died in 1962. 

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For further discussion on items 1 and 2, see Chapter 7, Heinrich Revisited Truisms or Myths. Furthermore, I am a member of the Editorial Advisory Board for the magazine Professional Safety. The number of articles submitted for publication that commence with one of the Heinrich myths is disturbing.)... 

A version of Heinrich Revisited Truisms or Myths was published by the National Safety Council in 2002. This variation is included here in accord with an agreement with the National Safety Council.)... 

Manuele, F.A. (2002). Heinrich revisited Truisms or myths. Chicago National Safety Council. 

Manuele, F. (2002). Heinrich Revisited Truisms or Myths Itasca 111 NSC Press. 

Manuele, Fred A. Heinrich Revisited Truisms or Myths. Itasca, IL National Safety Council, 2002. 

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