RISK MANAGEMENT AND THE CONCEPT OF HUMAN ERROR

Abstract

Investigations of recent major accidents invariably have pointed to the role of human error and it is often stated that 80-90 % of all accidents are caused by human error. The concept of human error is, however, very elusive. Careful analyses of such accidents tend to show that they are not caused by a stochastic coincidence of faults and human errors, but by a systemic erosion of the defenses due to decision making under competitive pressure in a dynamic environment. The presentation will discuss the nature of human error and the risk management problems found in a dynamic, competitive society facing a fast pace of technological change.