Human error and interactions with technology in safety-critical workplaces: Learning from the aviation industry

Humans are intrinsically motivated to avoid making mistakes in the workplace, yet human errors continue to occur. This research considered the problem of human error in safety-critical workplaces that is often associated with damage to infrastructure, injuries or even death. The study began with a close look at prior research on established human error models, with particular attention given to a human error classification system that divides errors into skill-based, rule-based or knowledge-based errors. The review of the literature then examined the opposing organizational views of safety and how some humans are adapting or resisting the changes of the developments of the Fourth Industrial Revolution in their workplace, where nascent technologies fuse digital, biological and physical innovations. A research agenda delivered practical field research questions concerning human error and technology with a drive to uncover whether technologies help or hinder humans from making human errors in safety-critical workplaces. The qualitative methodology that guided the field research consisted of reading incident reports, observing pilots and engineers and listening to them talk about technology and relay human error events in the context of a General Aviation (GA) private air charter business that also operated a flight school and aircraft maintenance repair. By focusing on the interfaces between humans performing high-consequence tasks and technology, this research re-examined the conventional human error model of skill, rule and knowledge-based error and considered adding another element connected to the high-tech world of work that humans face in future innovative safety-critical workplaces.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ed.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Educ Policy, Orgzn & Leadrshp

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2020

Author dc:creator

• Dyer, Sarah K.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Scagnoli, Norma I
• Huang, Wen-Hao D
• Oh, Eunjung G
• Cope, William

• human error, safety-critical industries, technology, innovation

Statement dc:rights

• © 2020 Sarah K. Dyer

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/107986

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/107986