1. Defining the human element
How human behaviour can affect safety onboard.
In the maritime context the term human element refers to aspects that influence the interaction between a human and their physical and/or social environment.
In other industries, the human element is usually known as human factors. In simple terms, the human element looks at how humans behave to develop the “system” to improve safety performance.
The system refers to any interaction between the person and their environment – whether that be social, physical, or technological.
Analysis shows that incidents involving technical failures alone are very rare. Usually, there are some human factors involved. Understanding the human factors is important because it helps us understand what went wrong and how to make improvements to safety.
Human error refers to actions or decisions that were unintended or that have unintended consequences.
Human error is a technical term. It’s important to remember that everyone makes errors, and it can happen to even the most experienced and competent person. It’s just part of being human. So, it’s unreasonable to expect every system to work perfectly all the time. When something goes wrong it’s crucial to investigate that the whole system, not just the person who made a mistake. By improving the system, you can put risk-reduction measures in place that prevent incidents from happening when someone inevitably does make a mistake.
Organisations do not stand still, and safety issues emerge continuously from the interactions between the areas within the organisation. This includes its people and the context in which they operate. This guide will help you make sense of some of the more common of these factors.