Systems-Based Analysis of China-Tianjin Port Fire and Explosion: A Comparison of HFACS,AcciMap, and STAMP

China-Tianjin Port fire and explosion on August 12, 2015, was a major accident that involved hazardous chemicals and resulted in 165 fatalities and 798 injuries. Three-system-based accident models, human factor analysis and classification system (HFACS), AcciMap, and system theoretic accident modeling and process (STAMP), were applied to identify contributory factors and relationships in the accident. The analysis outputs and usage of the three techniques were compared. The three-system accident models show several differences in terms of the emphasis on the models, system structure, classification of contributory factors, and interactions between system components. An important advantage of HFACS is the taxonomic nature, which can be easily applied in practical application. AcciMap provides a clear graphic representation of the causal flow of accidents, which is suitable for academic research. STAMP is suitable for both academic research and practical applications.