Analysis of a safety planning and control model from the human error perspective

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose is to introduce a safety planning and control (SPC) model that has been integrated into the production planning and control process. The paper is concerned with the impact of this model on human error control, since both workers' and managers' errors are major contributing factors in accident causation.

Design/methodology/approach

The analysis of this impact was based on two stages: the analysis of the main types of human errors detected in five sites in which the model has been implemented and a discussion on how the model contributes to the design of safe work systems from a cognitive engineering perspective.

Findings

The main conclusion is that six elements of the model (safety planning, near miss reporting, training, percentage of safe work packages indicator, participatory cycle, and planning and control diffusion) contribute to make both the boundaries of safe work visible and respected. Safety planning also helps to make the production system error‐tolerant to some extent. However, the analysis of causes of safety failures in the empirical studies pointed out a high incidence of violations of the boundaries (on average, 43.5 percent of the total safety failures), mostly by workers.

Research limitations/implications

Although improvement in the existing mechanisms might make the model more behavior‐oriented, a broader set of measures is necessary to achieve excellence in dealing with human errors. Also, additional empirical data are necessary to clarify the nature and frequency of the human errors that have impact in construction safety.

Originality/value

The model may help in devising more effective tools to reduce errors in construction.

Citation

Abreu Saurin, T., Torres Formoso, C. and Borges Cambraia, F. (2005), "Analysis of a safety planning and control model from the human error perspective", Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, Vol. 12 No. 3, pp. 283-298. https://doi.org/10.1108/09699980510600134