Introduction to Human Factors in Accident Investigation

Abstract

This is a book about human factors and accident investigation. The author, Dr R. S. Bridger, is a consultant and educationalist in human factors and ergonomics. Dr Bridger is past president of the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors (UK). He is experienced in accident investigation in the maritime and healthcare sectors. His book is aimed at safety professionals, engineers, accident investigators and psychologists who apply the principles of human factors. Occupational Health Practitioners with both a health and a safety remit, seeking to understand how human behaviour contributes to accidents (unplanned events causing personal injury or property damage), will find this book interesting. Human Factors refer to working conditions that affect people’s behaviour. High-risk industries and some safety professionals prefer ‘Human Factors’ to ‘Ergonomics’, but the two are often used interchangeably. The book has 15 chapters. It contains an abundance of thought-provoking examples of accidents in healthcare and other industries illustrating the contribution of human factors (an example is the Ferry Herald disaster near Zeebrugge in 1987). The first chapter explains how people in organizations and systems operate where cognitive, physical and organizational factors intersect. Accidents happen when the body, the mind, the senses and skills do not fit with the workspace. Another chapter on human–machine interaction and accidents is most relevant to the current Digital Revolution of how we work.