What distinguishes an accident from an incident?

• A. Accidents involve injuries
• B. Incidents are always minor
• C. Whether the event was preventable
• D. Accidents require reporting

Answer: (C)

In incident investigations, the key idea is whether the event could have been prevented with the safety measures and controls in place. If an event could have been prevented, it’s treated as an incident, including near-misses, because it reveals gaps in defenses that we want to fix. If the event could not have been prevented—an outcome that occurred despite the safeguards—it's considered an accident. This focus on preventability shifts attention from just what happened to what could have been avoided, guiding improvements in safety controls and procedures rather than judging by injuries or damage alone. So the distinguishing factor is preventability: that is what sets an incident apart from an accident.