Identification of Critical Causal Factors and Paths of Tower-Crane Accidents in China through System Thinking and Complex Networks

Tower-crane accidents occur frequently with serious consequences, including deaths, serious injuries, and economic losses. To identify the critical causes and paths of tower-crane accidents, the network analysis method is utilized. First, according to the relevant laws, regulations, and standards regarding tower-crane safety, a system of tower-crane accident causes is decomposed into 6 subsystems and 34 causal factors through system thinking. Then a sample of 194 tower-crane accident reports is used as empirical data. Accident causes are considered the nodes, and correlations among the causes are considered edges, through which a network model of tower-crane accident causes is established. The statistical indicators of the network model, such as the degree, strength, and shortest path, are calculated, after which seven critical factors and three critical paths of tower-crane accident causation are identified. Finally, a major tower-crane collapse accident in the city of Yueyang is adopted to conduct a case study and verify the practicality of the established systematic model and the reasonability of the analysis results.