| Human error is a fact of life and
work ... a self evident truth, perhaps, but one
with profound implications for a society which
experiences the kinds of hazardous system
accidents that occur with depressing frequency.
These accidents are strongly influenced by human
error, yet many systems design fail to take this
into consideration. This book is a practical and
pragmatic guide to the techniques and approaches
of human reliability assessment (HRA). It offers
explanatory and practical methods which have been
applied - and have been seen to work - in high
technology, high risk environments, particularly
(though not exclusively) to potentially hazardous
situation in industries such as process control,
nuclear power, and petrochemicals. The book
provides the practitioner with a comprehensive
toolkit of different tactics and procedures,
supported by guidance on the selection of the
optimum approach for various diverse
applications. The book covers risk assessment and
the HRA process, as well as methods of task
analysis, error identification, error
quantification, the representation of error in
risk analysis, error reduction analysis, quality
assurance, and documentation. It details
experiences via a series of case studies from
nuclear, chemical, offshore, and marine HRAs,
exemplifying techniques and emphasizing the
impact effective HRA can have on existing and
design-stage systems.
Barry Kirwan has
bachelor's, master's degrees and doctorate in
psychology, work design, and ergonomics. He has
worked in both academia and industry, at Human
Reliability Associates, Technica, and British
Nuclear Fuels Ltd. He is currently lecturing and
researching in human reliability assessment at
the School of Manufacturing & Mechanical
Engineering at the University of Birmingham.
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