Unit V Assignment
Barrier Analysis Worksheet Project
Read the U.S. Chemical Safety Board investigation report of the 2007 propane explosion at the Little General Store in
Ghent, WV. The final report can be read/downloaded at the following link:
http://www.csb.gov/assets/1/19/CSBFinalReportLittleGeneral.pdf.
Additional information on the incident, including a video summary, can be found at the following link:
http://www.csb.gov/little-general-store-propane-explosion/
NOTE: This is the same investigation report used to create the events and causal factors (ECF) chart in Unit IV.
Complete the assignment as detailed below.
Part I: From the information in the report, create a three-column barrier analysis worksheet. Use the sample form on page
173 of the course textbook as a template, and follow the instructions below:
a. In the first column, list the barriers. Group the barriers by category (failed, not used, did not exist).
b. In the second column, describe the intended function of each barrier.
c. In the third column, evaluate the performance of the barrier.
Part II: On a separate page, discuss the potential causal factors that are revealed in the analysis. Are there additional
causal factors that were not identified in the ECF chart you created in the Unit IV assignment? This part of the assignment
should be a minimum of one page in length.
Upload Parts I and II as a single document. For Part II of the assignment, you should use academic sources to support
your thoughts. Any outside sources used, including the sources mentioned in the assignment, must be cited using APA
format and must be included on a references page.
