Safety accidents at the workplace

Abstract

Human factors is an important aspect to consider when designing a safe and healthy workplace. Human errors are usually outcomes of long chains of events, and preventing human error at work calls for preventive actions or safety–related measures that include the human factors in order for it to be effective. Human factors are addressed with regard to safety and health with the goal to optimise human performance and minimise human failures. Accident causation is a very complex phenomenon and need to be understood adequately with the purpose of improving workplace safety. Based on the Swiss Cheese Theory, human error is studied in this paper. Objectives: To study how human errors are involved in safety–related accidents at the workplace; and to study how human factors can be integrate in accident prevention. Methodology: A qualitative study using document analysis method. Results and discussion: Conclusion: workers’ individual attributes may also be the source of accidents. People tend to make a lower risk estimation of their own job compare with other jobs; and underestimated the risks within their own job. The availability of information relevant to the hazard, risk estimations, types of exposure, and control measures are useful in helping people to understand risks better.