Comprehensive analysis and investigation of accident/occupational disease responsibility rates: A case study for...

One of the major problems of courts and insurance companies is the lack of a proper technique to determine the rate of responsibility of the parties involved in the accident. The aim of this study was to determine the Accident/Occupational Diseases Responsibility Rates (AOD RR) for complex events. Accordingly, a case study of a complex accident of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning was selected and Occupational Accident Tree Analysis (OATA) and Occupational Accident Component Analysis (OACA) techniques, which were solely used to investigate occupational accidents, were used with the new names Accident/Occupational Disease Tree Analysis (AOD TA) and Accident/Occupational Disease Component Analysis (AOD CA) to evaluate their applicability to investigate non-occupational accidents and occupational diseases. For this purpose, causes of CO penetration to victims' room was assessed using gas tracking methods. Finally, Fuzzy Accident/Occupational Disease Tree/Component Analysis (FAOD TA and FAOD CA) techniques were developed and used for determining AOD RR in fuzzy environment. The results showed that the AOD RR obtained by AOD TA and AOD CA based on the average of experts' personal opinions and consensus between experts, and AOD TA and AOD CA in a fuzzy environment were close to each other, with the power terminal and the power cable crossing route being the main routes of transmission and penetration of CO to the victims' room. Also, the owner, contractor, tenant, and serviceman were responsible for the CO poisoning of victims. It can be concluded that any hole, crack, or fission in the building can result in CO penetration to the individuals' living rooms, and gas tracking in early winter, especially in older buildings, plays a very significant role in preventing residents' poisoning. Further, due to the uncertainty of AOD TA and AOD CA techniques, it is recommended to use FAOD TA and FAOD CA techniques for increasing the accuracy of the results. This will enhance the court and insurance companies' trust in the opinions of accident investigation experts, decrease delays in the proceedings, and prevent any violation of the individual rights.