Contributing factors at the functional department and work-system levels

1 Contributing factors at the functional department and work-system levels 

An early example of a causal factors checklist is Swain s checklist on human-performance-shaping factors (Swain, 1974). It is human-factor oriented and lists factors that affect the quality of human performance and thus the likelihood of human errors. Table 6.11 shows an extract from this checklist. 

The checklist has been used as a design tool as well as an accident-investigation tool in cases where human errors have played a central role. It draws attention away from blaming the person that made the error. Instead, it focuses on the identification of dysfunctions in the design of the man-machine system from an ergonomics point of view. The intention is to identify accident-prone workplaces rather than accident-prone persons. 

1 Situational characteristics such as physical environment (temperature, air quality, noise), manning, work hours, supervision, rewards, organisational structure. 

2 Task and equipment characteristics such as perceptual, anticipatory, decision-making and motor requirements, feedback and knowledge of results, man-machine interface. 

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