Abstract

Fatal accidents are a life changing event for surviving relatives. As secondary victims, their life is suddenly disrupted and becomes filled with mourning, sorrow, pain and uncertainty. A case study from the Netherlands shows that a range of organizations and institutions have a social responsibility to contribute to mitigating the suffering of surviving relatives. A responsibility which is up till now often neglected. From a corporate social responsibility point of view the alleviation and prevention of suffering of surviving relatives should be important for any organisation involved in the aftermath of fatal accidents. The case study shows that surviving relatives, as secondary victims, can contribute in a unique way to the initiation, implementation and realization of a successful corporate program to promote prevention and the development of a proactive safety culture. Finally, the case study shows that surviving relatives can contribute actively to the development of more proactive inspection strategies and new legislation. It is suggested that within safety science and practice more attention should be given to the agency and potential positive contributions of surviving relatives and survivors of serious accidents to prevention and safety promotion. By speaking from their heart and out of their dramatic personal experience, they can impact the behaviour of corporate leaders, policy makers as well as operational workers in a unique way. Simultaneously, such activities help them to develop new purpose and meaning in their disrupted lives.