The Rhetorical Transformation of Experience in Accident Investigations

When accidents occur, labor unions, management, and agencies interview observers to determine the cause or causes of an accident. Before they can construct a coherent account of events and conditions prior to an accident, writers must transform this body of oral testimony into the language and conventions ()f an official report. 

Following an accident, investigators interview all individuals who were involved in the accident—from workers at the site to management and engineers who made decisions that affected the outcome of the disaster. These interviews explore a wide range of technical questions concerning liability, responsibility, and practice. What kinds of decisions led to the disaster. What 

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