Citation

Dekker SWA. Int. J. Occup. Safety Ergonomics 2003; 9(2): 211-218.

Affiliation

Department of Mechanical Engineering, Linköping Institute of Technology, Linköping, Sweden. sidde@ikp.liu.se

Copyright

(Copyright © 2003, Centralny Instytut Ochrony Pracy - Państwowy Instytut Badawczy, Publisher Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

12820909

Abstract

"Human error" is often cited as cause of occupational mishaps and industrial accidents. Human error, however, can also be seen as an effect (rather than the cause) of trouble deeper inside systems. The latter perspective is called the "new view" in ergonomics today. This paper details some of the antecedents and implications of the old and the new view, indicating that human error is a judgment made in hindsight, whereas actual performance makes sense to workers at the time. Support for the new view is drawn from recent research into accidents as emergent phenomena without clear "root causes;" where deviance has become a generally accepted standard of normal operations; and where organizations reveal "messy interiors" no matter whether they are predisposed to an accident or not.

Language: en