Tripod Theory

Operational disturbances, like production incidents, environmental incidents, IT incidents, financial incidents and accidents, are to a large extent directly caused by human error. However, Risk Management focused directly on human behaviour has proven not to be the most sustainable and effective way to control operational disturbances.

Human error is mainly caused by the working environment one is performing in. The hidden deficiencies in the organisation, the underlying causes, must be identified and corrected.


Tripod is a philosophy aimed at managing the controllable aspects of human error in the working environment. This contrasts with the conventional expectation that attention should be directed at the individual worker who performs substandard acts, and his or her attitudes, motivations and perceptions of risk.

Managing the business process is done most efficiently and effectively by focusing on the organization rather than the individual and by identifying the start of business disruption processes.

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History

The Tripod theory was developed in the late eighties by scientists from the Universities of Leiden (the Netherlands) and Manchester (United Kingdom). Prof. W.A. Wagenaar and prof. J. Reason, well-known for their expertise on human error, were involved in this research that led to the Tripod Theory and it's accompanying products.
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FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

In this section, questions like "What is the Tripod philosophy?" and "What role does human error play in a business upset?" are answered. read more >>

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