Preview

Human Error

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
2078 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Human Error
“Human error versus human capability: Which way should the pendulum swing?”

Human factors can be defined as “the technology concerned to optimize the relationship between people and their activities by the systematic application of the human sciences, integrated within the framework of system engineering” (Edwards, 1988, p. 9). Human factors have evolved over the years since the birth of tools many millennia ago (Civil Aviation Authority, 2002). The modern evolution of human factors happened in the last century (Civil Aviation Authority, 2002). The technology that surpassed human capability in the First World War saw the need for an effective human factors approach (Civil Aviation Authority, 2002). A scientific approach was also used in the selection and training of staff (Civil Aviation Authority, 2002). Human factors were institutionalized with the advent of organizations such as the Human Factors Society (Civil Aviation Authority, 2002).
The safety system in place today in the aviation industry was formulated at a time when the aircraft was seen as the reason behind almost all accidents (Wiegmann & Shappell, 2003). Fifty years on, aviation accidents can be attributed more to human error than those of the aircraft (Wiegmann & Shappell, 2003). As such, the human causes of the accidents need to be addressed in a more effective manner, in order to see a reduction in aviation accidents (Wiegmann & Shappell, 2003). This essay explores the integration between human error management and human performance capability in human factors. With relevant examples, it argues that more should be invested in error reduction than in performance capabilities.

Human error is simply defined as when humans make mistakes (Whittingham, 2004). There are many influential reasons to human mistakes, but an obvious reason would be human error occurs when a person commits an error due to their shortcomings rather than external factors (Civil Aviation Authority, 2003).

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    Human factors are the first and most influential factors to cause road and traffic related injuries. 95% of road accidents are caused by human error. They refer to the things people do or do not do. These can include speeding; drink driving or driving under the influence of drugs, amount of passengers being carried and if you or the passengers are wearing a seatbelt. 90-95% of accidents are caused by these human factors. The more specific categories are organized into speed, alcohol and fatigue.…

    • 1798 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    According to Pravin (2006), Human Performance technology (HPT) is a field that is gradually gaining in status and value. Currently, it has a full-fledged management theory with many practical implications. Many changes within and outside the business have decisively influenced the top managers to award due significance to HPT and to acknowledge it as a distinct area of operation within an organization. The changes include the increasing (Pravin 2006) size of the organizations and the employees, growing specialization of labor, rising tensions and conflicts in the labor management relations, the deteriorating role of technology as a differentiator, and the initiation of multiple labor-related laws.…

    • 571 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Medical Mistakes

    • 517 Words
    • 3 Pages

    “Should information about medical errors be available to the public, or should medical errors be kept confidential by state licensing agencies?” I chose this dilemma because from experience with my health, I’ve had this happen to me where doctors couldn’t find out what was wrong with me and come to find out there was a medical mistake that was made. Thankfully I was notified of this mistake and action was taken. Although this mistake has caused me to have some lifelong health problems I am happy that they are trying to correct the mistake so I can live a normal life and be the best mother to my child. After this happened to me, it inspired me to get into the healthcare field so I can help save lives and make a difference in someone’s life and help prevent this from happening to someone else. I also chose this topic because in…

    • 517 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Mistakes are Made

    • 291 Words
    • 2 Pages

    4. Flappers seemed rebellious to their parents’ generation, because they cut their hair short, smoked in public, and they broke with 1920s social conventions.…

    • 291 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Sometimes, humans make mistakes, some are small but never the less they are still mistake. It is a part of having humanity, along with learning from those mistake and taking that knowledge learned and applying it. Although not all of humankind may understand that concept, it is a big part of being human. Humanity is the qualities that make us human, like having the ability to love, have compassion, be creative, and not be a robot, or alien.…

    • 405 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The Qantas Airways is Australia’s largest airline. It has a solid history as it began its business years back by transporting passengers and mails. Today, the company has expanded its operations in almost 140 destinations across the globe. It is Australia’s largest employers with around 37,000 employees. The human resource management operates in the company in four major areas, which are business segments, corporate, shared services, and development and learning. Under corporate level, the HRM is responsible…

    • 2652 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Management and Coaching

    • 2068 Words
    • 9 Pages

    The necessary human factors at work arose in connection with the increasing complexity of production, on the one hand, when the cost of human error has increased substantially due to increased competition (Reference).That is why in the field of personnel management, there are many technologies to effectively manage people. All kinds of certification, management by objectives, activities to develop a corporate culture and maintaining team spirit, training, coaching, actions are designed to accelerate the adaptation in the world. Significantly, increase…

    • 2068 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    As we know, human beings can make mistakes and this can be one cause. Lack of coordination between the crew may cause serious problems. If they are not connected to each other, could be a disaster flight, because their coordination must be joined as a force to create a safe flight. A pilot's failure to exercise due diligence can be a principle or partial cause of a crash. Another reason is a pilot error, it refers to any action or decision that the pilot could make . Also they could make a tactical failure, it could be bad actions or decisions, often caused maybe by fatigue or lack of experience.…

    • 416 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    This topic area covers the second and third sessions. Now that some of the basic terms and concepts associated with safety management systems and risk management have been discussed, it is important to outline what a safety management system encompasses, and the benefits it can bring when implemented and maintained within an organisation such as an airline. Not only must organisations be aware of operational issues such as scheduling, crewing, and administration, but all staff members must be made aware of the importance of implementing measures to identify, analyse, and monitor safety concerns. Within these sessions, the elements of a Safety Management System will be discussed, as well as the regulatory environment safety must be practiced within.…

    • 11579 Words
    • 47 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Van Cott H. Human Factors Specialists ' Education And Utilization : Results Of A Survey [e-book]. National Academy Press; 1992. Available from: eBook Collection (EBSCOhost), Ipswich, MA. Accessed April 19th, 2012.…

    • 675 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Human Stupidity

    • 531 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Between living among people and being distant from them, I imagine that humanity’s ignorance brings me near the peak of lost hope. All people have done is create chaos and conflict among one another. It concerns to aiding war, segregation, and hatred. People also destroy other’s lives to develop industrial substances like companies and factories, also the architecture of building new homes, which cost people their lives. My philosophical question is why does it continue to happen? Not only is it a never ending cycle, but it brings me to what I like to call human stupidity.…

    • 531 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Man Made Disasters

    • 3289 Words
    • 14 Pages

    6.4.1 Introduction Even if it is true that our libraries are overflowing with books, never before in the history of mankind has there been a century as destructive to books as the twentieth. Two world wars and numerous armed conflicts have exacted their toll, many totalitarian regimes have purged libraries of publications and what is left is often damage d by water o r fire. Man h as been m ore destruc tive to the cultural h eritage than na ture. Mo st of this damage is caused wilfully. T o list all the causes o f destruction an d damag e in a worldw ide frequen cy and prio rity order is not feasible. Each region has its specific range of problems (Hoeven et al., 1996). Record custod ians may think of disasters as large, catastrophic events such as tor nadoes or flood s – dramatic natural events over which there is little, if any, control. Yet many disasters are events that only affect records w ithin a single repo sitory. But whe ther large or sm all, disasters can threaten the sec urity of record s. A single fire or flood can erase substantial portions of the unique recorded history of a community. To prepare for a disaster, we must first become aware of the potential dangers records face (Read, 1994). ICOMO S, the international NGO dedicated to the conservation of the world 's historic monuments and sites, has made its most recent report on Monuments and Sites in Danger available. From more than 60 countries the whole range of man-m ade dangers to cultural heritage is map ped, from the criminality of illegal excavations, the looting of churches for the international art trade, to the imp acts of mass global tourism. T he report is a first step toward recognising and recording monuments at risk, collecting information about the dangers they face, promoting action where catastrophes have already occurred, inspiring further commitments on national and international lev els and pro viding an ad ditional po sitive impulse for existing…

    • 3289 Words
    • 14 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Crew Resource Management (CRM) is “… the proper response to threats to safety and the proper management of crew error,” (Kanki 61). Human error is the cause of over half of all airplane crashes and is completely preventable (Kebabiian 2). Human error, also known as human factors, is any mistake that can be made that is a natural result of being humans (Human Error 1). The application of Crew Resource Management in a flight setting can help reduce human error in an aircraft.…

    • 1317 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    to whom i am

    • 4276 Words
    • 17 Pages

    Wallace, P. R. & Regan, M. A. (1998). Case study: Converting human factors research into design specifications…

    • 4276 Words
    • 17 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    HRM Toyota

    • 1577 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The mechanical issues decimating the Toyota models and the car failures were not the entire reason of terrible Human resource management nevertheless there are always more than one reason why a failure may occur, underlying reasons which for example lead to poor human resource management. Using soccer or hockey as an example, a goal scored by a player…

    • 1577 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays