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davkett  +  137091 Wed, 14 Sep 05 12:47 AM

Well, Clive, we may have to suddenly get philosophical on this, because there are some folks, in more places than Canada, who will say that there is no such thing as an accident (in the sense of an effect without a cause).  The least we can agree on is that there are other causes for effects than intent. 

 

Joined on Tue, Jun 7 2005
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meantolearn  +  137102 Wed, 14 Sep 05 01:10 AM

Hi Clive&Dave,

This is getting very interesting, but I'm lost somewhere.

Clive wrote:

"The word 'accident' is seen as 'accepting the incident' as something that could not have been prevented."

1. Please elaborate further or give some examples.

 

Dave wrote:

"...because there are some folks, in more places than Canada, who will say that there is no such thing as an accident (in the sense of an effect without a cause).  The least we can agree on is that there are other causes for effects than intent. "

2. Please elaborate further or give some examples.

Thanks,

 

 

 

 

Joined on Thu, Feb 24 2005
Regular Member 808
I think; therefore I am.
davkett  +  137119 Wed, 14 Sep 05 02:29 AM

Well, it's pretty simple for me. 

Traffic accidents, to use Clive's example, have a cause, and for that reason should, perhaps, not be called accidents.  They are accidental in the sense that noone involved had an intent, but they are not accidental in the sense that there was no cause for what happened (a driver ran a stoplight while looking the other way). 

It was not accidental that the city of New Orleans was flooded, but was caused by the difference between the force of Katrina and the resistance forces of the levees. 

The shape of a cloud is not accidental, but the result of laws we can barely understand. 

Someone wets the bed accidentally in the sense that there was no intent to wet the bed, but not in the sense that wetting the bed had no cause, apparent or otherwise.

So I want to define the accidental primarily as an event that falls outside of intent.

 

Jackson6612  +  351052 Sun, 15 Apr 07 10:18 AM

 CalifJim wrote:

3.  I wouldn't call an incident an accident unless it were an accident!

CJ

There is no doubt that CJ is correct. I'm just trying to know the reason. I know were is used instead of was when we have a situation contrary to fact/reality. Couldn't it be said: I wouldn't call an incident an accident unless it was an accident!?

Joined on Wed, Dec 27 2006
Senior Member 3,688
It’s a difficult question for any man to answer… Whether to follow his dreams no matter what… Or to give in slowly and let life lead you where it will.
Grammar Geek  +  351117 Sun, 15 Apr 07 02:56 PM

Yes, in that case, he's saying that the incident was actually an accident, so "was" is okay.

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Barbara, who answers in American English. My housekeeping skills attest to the truth of the second law of thermodynamics: Left to themselves, things get more and more random!
Anonymous, 2 yr 67 days ago

Gents,

To know the difference between the accident and the incident we need to the definition of each one as per OSHHAS 1881:1999:

Accident

Undesired event giving rise to death, ill health, injury, damage or other loss

Incident

Event that gave rise to an accident or had the potential to lead to an accident.

NOTE  An incident where no ill health, injury, damage, or other loss occurs is also referred to as a “near-miss”. The term “incident” includes “near-misses”.

Hop that will answer the question.


Jackson6612  +  421541 Thu, 20 Sep 07 11:19 AM
 Anonymous wrote:

To know the difference between the accident and the incident we need to the definition of each one as per OSHHAS 1881:1999:

 

Hi Anon,

 

Thanks a lot for the definition. What does OSHHAS 1881:1999 mean?

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