The key actors map: a novel tool for transport accidents investigation

Abstract

The article presents a novel tool for transport accidents investigation: the key actors map (MAC). The MAC offers significant advantages for investigation teams, as it allows them to quickly understand the panorama of an event and the identification of organizations and individuals involved. Consequently, the MAC facilitates data acquisition and accident analysis. Working with MAC helps to understand who (and how) can contribute or hinder the achievement of accident investigation objectives: transform the situation under study, prevent new events, strengthen safety and, finally, improve the performance of the transportation system. With this objective, firstly, some key notions will be introduced, then the purposes and advantages of MAC will be defined and, finally, how to prepare a MAC will be explained and an example will be presented.