Human Mistakes

Running head: AVOID HUMAN ERRORS IN INDUSTRIES

How to Avoid Common Mistakes Related With
Human Errors in Industries
Angelo B. Aguilar
University of Monterrey

Author Note
Angelo Aguilar, Department of Engineer.
This research was supported in part by a grant from the Sample Grant
Program.

AVOID HUMAN ERRORS IN INDUSTRIES
Abstract
This paper discusses the systematic approachdeveloped, outlines the principles and general
process adopted for avoiding human error in design, and describes design solutions that are representative of specific application principles. It is expected that application of the recommended approach will result in plant designs with decreased risk of human error occurrence and consequence. Some utilities have developed a process for minimizing humanerror in plant operations and maintenance. Recent plant operational experience demonstrates that human error is a key contributor to operating inefficiencies, equipment damage, and significant plant events. To improve plant operation and safety, plant designers and utilities are placing renewed emphasis on approaches to prevent the occurrence and limit the effects of human error. One aspect of themultifaceted approach to addressing error involves the choice of features that are incorporated into plant systems.

Keywords: Human Error, Human Factors, Risk Assessment, Emergency Response

AVOID HUMAN ERRORS IN INDUSTRIES
How to Avoid Common Mistakes Related With
Human Errors in Industries
This paper outlines a design strategy for minimizing human error in plant operations andmaintenance. Current plant operational experience has demonstrated that human error is a key contributing factor to operating inefficiencies, equipment damage and significant plant events. To improve plant operation and safety, plant designers and utilities are placing renewed emphasis on approaches to prevent the occurrence and limit the effects of human error. Addressing human error in a systematicway has become a utility priority due to evolving production and safety demands for (Heuertz and Herrin, 1997): Reduced probability of safety challenges, increased capacity factors and production, lower operations and maintenance costs, increased tolerance of operational errors, and increased assurance for protection of plant.
Recent operational experience and industry studies have consistentlyshown that human performance related problems, including human error are key contributing factors in about one half of all significant events at nuclear power plants (INPO, 1991). Current error occurrence and consequence rates have the potential to become limiting factors to further improvements in plant operations and safety. As a consequence, a multi-faceted approach to addressing error is beingpracticed. Human error is best addressed with overlapping error occurrence prevention and reduction, and consequence prevention and reduction means. Such a layered defensive strategy is consistent with the “defense in depth” approach to safe
AVOID HUMAN ERRORS IN INDUSTRIES
operation, characteristic of the nuclear industry and other complex technical systems. One form of defense involves thefeature choices made by designers that are incorporated into plant systems.
A broader description of the program, recommended design approach, and supporting guidance can be found in a previous conference paper (Feher, Davey, and Howard, 1995). Practical experience with application of the approach has been gained both in an operational assessment of a retrofit Critical Safety Parameter displaysystem for industries.
A sub-objective of the program was the development of guidance and tools that would assist designers in limiting the potential impact of human errors by controlling the sources of error and consequences of human error in system operation.
The use of guidance is important in two reasons, first, a human error is a key causal factor in plant events. If, as an industry, we are...