Are We Learning from Accidents?

Nippin Anand's book critiques conventional accident investigation practices and argues that investigations often offer simplistic explanations that satisfy the need for closure but fail to encourage real learning.

Drawing on anthropology, social psychology, mythology and neuroscience, Anand uses the Costa Concordia disaster as a case study to explore how culture, unconscious assumptions and myths shape interpretations of misfortune.

He proposes people-centred methods—such as surfacing unconscious biases, using intelligent cues and mapping tensions—to enable deeper organizational learning.

The book challenges myths like zero-harm, root-cause certainty and the taboo on blame, advocating for transdisciplinary thinking and humility in safety work.

It aims to shift investigators from problem-solvers who close loops toward custodians of learning who hold complexity and uncertainty open.