Human error in maintenance in the workplace is largely predictable and so can be identified in advance and prevented, according to a recent report.
Improving maintenance: a guide to reducing human error, published by Britain's Health and Safety Executive, provides practical advice and tools for reducing accidents caused by maintenance errors.
It cites many instances of preventable injuries and fatalities. To give just three examples: a shop assistant received a severe electric shock while changing a fluorescent light tube when the circuit was live. Two workers died following an explosion at an electronics factory, following a bad repair to a pressure release valve which failed to function. A maintenance electrician working on a factory roof fell to his death through an uncovered skylight. "Although it is never possible to eliminate human error totally, it is possible through good maintenance management to move towards this goal," says the report.
Poor maintenance impacts directly on the health and safety of workers. Risks apply not only to maintenance staff but to any member of staff who undertakes a maintenance job. Moreover, "when the maintenance is carried out in an area accessible to others, there is also a direct risk to the health and safety of non-maintenance staff".
Three factors contribute to human error: individual factors (a person's capabilities, attitudes, habits, skills and competence); job factors (the person-job fit and environmental factors); and organisational factors (such as the health and safety culture of the organisation). Incident reviews and workforce questionnaires are both recommended as complementary approaches to reducing human error. Incident reviews get to grips with the underlying causes of accidents, incidents and near misses, while workforce questionnaires avail of the views of staff to identify key management issues.
The report expounds upon 18 management issues which it sees as crucial to improving maintenance and reducing error.
Policy/organising: policy: Human error can be caused when policies are unclear or inadequately communicated properly to workers.
Resource allocation: accidents can be caused by the failure to schedule maintenance because of resource constraints.
Roles: responsibilities can be poorly defined.
Communications can be deficient such as when there is no adequate system for staff to report maintenance problems.
Management of change: fatalities and injuries can result if procedures are not updated in accordance with workplace changes.
Learning within an organisation can be deficient where managers or staff do not commit to improvements or when they fail to take on board best practices.
Procedures/permits: accidents can happen when permits-to-work procedures are not followed or where procedures contain unreported technical errors.
Procedures might not be followed because they are difficult to use.
Work design: preventable accidents can be reduced or eliminated by limiting excessive overtime or by varying tasks so workers remain attentive.
Shift hand-overs can be crucial to managing human error. For instance, verbal or written communication between shifts may be inadequate. More difficult jobs should not be left to night shift personnel, who tend to be more tired.
Individual worker's errors can cause accidents. For instance, if a worker fails to ask for help when they need it or fails to report maintenance problems.
Competence can be an issue for instance if a worker has not received adequate training or a manager lacks leadership skills.
Teamwork can contribute to errors. For instance, if there is poor communication within or between teams or when team members do not criticise poor practices.
Supervisors can cause or contribute to accidents by not setting a good example or by providing inadequate supervision.
Environmental factors can cause accidents. There may be too much noise, heat, cold, vibration or inadequate ventilation.
Plant and equipment can be poorly designed or have poor access for maintenance. Measuring performance:
Deficient monitoring can be at fault, such as poor monitoring of equipment reliability or absenteeism.
Review maintenance performance: inadequate auditing of accidents, "near misses", maintenance policies or inspections of working conditions can lead to preventable accidents.
Improving maintenance: a guide to reducing human error, published by Britain's Health and Safety Executive, costs £16 sterling (€25.20). It is available from HSE Books, PO Box 1999, Sudbury, Suffolk, CO10 2WA. Telephone: 0044 1787 881165.
jmarms@irish-times.ie
