Herbert
Heinrich
Class of 1993
Background:
Herbert William "Bill" Heinrich was born in Bennington,
Vermont, USA, in 1881. He began working as an apprentice in
the machinist trade at age 16. Mr. Heinrich became a Third
Assistant Engineer at age 23. In 1918, he joined the U.S.
Naval Reserve as a Lt., Jr. Grade. He was called to active
duty as an Engineering Officer and was discharged in 1919
with the rank of Senior Lieutenant.
Professional
Experience:
At the age of 32, he joined the Travelers Insurance Company
at Hartford, Connecticut, where he served until his retirement
in 1956 at age 74. He served in charge of the Indemnity Division
and, in 1925, was promoted to assistant superintendent of
the Engineering and Inspection Division. He 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
Vessel Laws Society, an organization promoting the uniformity
of laws governing the safety of steam boilers and pressure
vessels in the U.S. and Canada.
Career
Highlights:
During his lifetime, Bill Heinrich received worldwide recognition
for his major contributions to the science of preventing loss
of life and property resulting form occupational accidents.
During 1925 and 1926, he developed and introduced his first
major research finding, the "Incidental Cost of Accidents
to the Employer," which became known as the "4 to
1 indirect-direct accident cost ratio." Based on a study
of the costs of accidents reported by companies insured with
Travelers, he found that money paid by employers, either as
the result of lost time of the injured worker or directly
through the insurance carrier for accident claims and medical
expenses, represent 1/5 of the total cost of accidents to
employers. The remaining "indirect costs" were found
to be four times as great as the direct costs. This study
provided an economic incentive for the use of accident prevention
as a loss control activity by company managers. Mr. Heinrich's
analysis of 75,000 accident reports by companies insured with
Travelers resulted in the research report titled "The
Origins of Accidents" which concluded that 88 percent
of all accidents are caused by the unsafe acts of persons,
10 percent by unsafe physical conditions and 2 percent are
"Acts of God." His analysis of 50,000 accidents
showed that, in the average case, an accident resulting in
the occurrence of a lost-time work injury was preceded by
329 similar accidents caused by the same unsafe act or mechanical
exposure, 300 of which produced no injury and 29 resulted
in minor injuries. The results of this study led managers
to seek evidence of unsafe acts and conditions in work situations
and correct them before losses occur. Based on his research,
Mr. Heinrich defined five factors in the accident sequence
which he identified as the "Domino Theory": ancestry
and social environment, fault of person, unsafe act and/or
mechanical or physical hazard, accident and injury. If this
series is interrupted by the elimination of one or more of
these factors, the accident sequence is interrupted and the
injury cannot occur. Mr. Heinrich's first book, titled Industrial
Accident Prevention, was published in four editions during
his lifetime and became well used throughout the world. Mr.
Heinrich developed the "Foundation (Basic Philosophy)
and the Five Steps in Accident Prevention." The five
steps include 1) Organization, 2) Fact Finding, 3) Analysis,
4) Selection Remedy, and 5) Application of Remedy. He also
developed the "Hazard Thru Track" built around the
case of hazards, their findings and analysis, and the selection
and application of appropriate remedies. This model concentrated
on before-the-loss identification and elimination of hazards.
Bill Heinrich died on June 22, 1962, at the age of 80.
