UNIT 7 Human Errors in the Workplace Page 1 of 16

INTRODUCTION
Human error is behaviour that is wholly expected to achieve a desired result (in
accordance with some standard) but that does not.

Human error consists of all those occasions in which a planned sequence of mental or
physical activities fails to achieve its intended outcome, and when these failures cannot
be attributed to the intervention of some chance agency.

On the other hand, it has been said that to err (i.e. to make mistakes) is human. Human
error is an element that cannot be totally eliminated, but if the typical errors are
identified, most of them can also be prevented.

CAUSES OF ERROR IN THE WORKPLACE

1. COMPLACENCY
Complacency is a feeling of self-satisfaction accompanied by unawareness of actual
dangers or deficiencies. When a person is complacent, he has a feeling of calm
satisfaction with his own abilities or situation that prevents him from trying harder at
work.

Workplace complacency occurs when you've been doing something a certain way for
so long without incident that you naturally assume there can never be an incident.
Workers and operators develop a false sense of security and that's when things can
start to go wrong.

Once a person get used to working in a particular manner without accident, he will
continue to do even he is warned about any dangers.

Sources of Complacency:
absence of a major and visible crisis;
many visible resources without clarity of the validity;
low overall performance standards;
narrow functional goals for each employee;
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lack of sufficient performance feedback (internally and externally);

low confrontation culture;
positive messaging out of line with reality;
stress

Employees that are becoming complacent will:

Become Disengaged
Stop Thinking
Stop Taking Initiative
Dont Invest in Themselves
No Longer Manage Their Personal Brand
Take Shortcuts
Dont Take Any Risks
Lose Their Passion
Become Disgruntled With Their Current Career Destination
Lose Any Hope for a Brighter Future

Example:

Although safety processes are always put in and we start off with the best
intentions, confidence and routine inevitably set it, and that almost always leads to
complacency. It is not unusual to see operators raising their load while turning
their forklift or exceeding speed limits in order to meet deadlines.

An electrical technician will not turn off the breaker if he has been used to
working with the wires still live.

The best way to fight complacency is regular reminders. Safety meetings before every
shift are effective as they will allow bringing safety awareness to the forefront of
everybody's mind right before they begin each and every shift.
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2. OVERCONFIDENCE

The overconfidence effect is a bias view in which someone believes subjectively that
his or her judgment is better or more reliable than it objectively is.

By believing in himself to the point where a worker thinks he can't fail under any
circumstances, it becomes a problem.

This problem doesn't only affect the worker in question. It can have a ripple effect that
spreads through the entire workplace.

The first, and often most apparent, consequence of overconfidence in the workplace
is a negative effect on production.

When an employee exhibits overconfidence, she believes her work is beyond

reproach. This isn't a problem if she performs at a level matching her boasts. It
becomes an issue when the quality of her work suffers.

While normally a correctable problem, overconfident people often don't respond to

constructive criticism. This leads to a vicious cycle where production can suffer until
management is forced to take action

Overconfidence doesn't just extend to office workers. Positions involving physical

labour often come with numerous safety regulations. When a worker becomes
overconfident, he may feel that the regulations don't apply to him.

By neglecting these safeguards, he puts not only himself at risk, but those around him
as well.

This can increase the occurrence of workplace accidents, opening up the company to
legal liability.
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3. LACK OF KNOWLEDGE
A lack of knowledge means a worker does not possess sufficient information on how
to do the task at hand.

This can be due to insufficient training or lack of experience.

As such, when a person lacks knowledge about a particular task, he will be lacking in
its performance.
When a person does not have enough knowledge about a task, then definitely, he is
not going to perform the task in the best way possible and inevitable, errors will
occur in the task.

When key tasks are allocated to workers who lack knowledge, then there is the
danger that errors will be more probable and this can harm the company in terms of
profit making.

To overcome this problem of lack of knowledge, a company must select and recruit
only the best qualified persons for the job at hand.

As for existing employees, training has to be given to them and for a certain period of
time they shall be assisted for the works.

For key tasks, workers have to be experienced as well and assisted and monitored
regularly.

4. POOR TRAINING
Each time you employ an employee for your small business, you must train him; the
scope of training varies by employee and position.

The success of your business depends on how well your employees perform and how
your customers relate to them.

Lack of employee training spells trouble for any company because it unfavourably
impacts the company, internally and externally.
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When there is no training at work, employees do not understand how to do their jobs
and none of these goals are possible. This leads to low morale among workers, which
results more errors due to bad concentration.

The rate of production is low when employees don't know enough to perform their
jobs confidently. Unskilled employees could spend considerable time seeking help
to perform their jobs or they could perform tasks to their understanding, to the
detriment of the work process. This could lead to errors and injury.

Supervisors and more experienced employees must also spend time monitoring
unskilled workers, which detracts from their work and increases the amount of time
necessary to complete production.

Untrained workers are more susceptible to injuries. This happens when workers lack
the knowledge and skills required to use equipment and supplies safely. The
problem could be fatal in work environments that contain heavy-duty machinery and
hazardous materials.

5. LACK OF INFORMATION
Lack of information in the workplace can occur on a large scale, such as between
management and employees, as well as on a smaller scale between individual
employees.

When employees do not have sufficient information, they are now aware of how to
perform the tasks well or what is expected of them and as such, there is gross negligence
in the performance. Lack of information can also have bad implications such as:

unknown deadline dates

the duration of the task
how to perform the task
what the employer is seeking
the requirement of the tasks
the specifications of the tasks
the safety handling of apparatus

All these factors lead to errors due to insufficient information being available.
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A lack of information results in the inadequate handling of important projects. This can
cripple the companys innovation and capacity to make positive contributions to society.
The capacity to innovate is proportional to the availability of information and the capacity
to communicate directions, and to communicate new and exciting ideas and
improvements.

6. LACK OF INTEREST / INNATENTION

There are many factors that make a worker lose interest in his work. Some of them
are lack of communication, lack of proper remuneration method, stressful
environment, etc.

When a worker loses interest or is inattentive in his work, he starts to neglect his
work and does not perform to his best abilities.

He does not give his best nor does he want to go an extra mile to complete the work.
He does not want to make some allowance for sacrifice for the task at hand. He tends
to rush the task at hand and finish as quickly as possible.

He becomes passive in his tasks and no longer concentrates while doing the job.

Lack of interest in a task results in:

Lack of motivation

Negligence

Lack of concentration

Lack of effort

Lack of sacrifice for the company

Increase absenteeism

Punctuality Problems

All these factors lead to errors when he performs his tasks.

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7. DISTRACTION
The risks associated with distracted driving have received increased attention in recent
years. However, distractions and the risks they pose to workers are not limited to
those found on the roadway and are also found in the workplace.

Workplace distractions, regardless of type, have the same effect: When people are
distracted, they are not paying attention which can lead to errors.

A major distraction is the need to get the job done quickly. When employees become
fixated on completing a job on time, they focus less on the quality of the work and hence,
leave more errors.

A distracted worker does not concentrate in the work at hand and hence, leaves out
many errors. The worker is distracted and his focus is on something else. This lack of
concentration and dedication is the primary source of errors.

8. ENVIRONMENTAL
Unless they are carefully controlled or allowed for, the environmental conditions in
which a work is being done can introduce extraneous variables into the
work process. This leads to errors that are difficult to recognize and to evaluate.

The reading, measurement or output obtained is of the wrong value, or it is a reasonably

true measure of something other than the item being measured.

At the time a measurement is made, all environmental factors that could have a bearing
on the accuracy of the work should be recorded.

Example: the nature of the ground light intensity would have little effect on a voltage
measurement, although it could be a factor during the calibration of a photomultiplier
tube.

When measurements are made to five or six decimal places in a task, several factors
must be taken into account: temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, local
gravitational constant, vibration, and contaminants.

Dust can be controlled by the use of filters, dust precipitators, special clothing, and shoe
cleaners.
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The one item that requires the most control and compensation is temperature. It is next
to impossible to maintain a constant temperature level with personnel entering and
leaving a laboratory.

Each human body radiates about 100 watts of heat. If, for each person working in a
laboratory, there is a 100-watt bulb turned on when he is absent and off when he is
present, it would compensate for changes in the heat due to his coming and going.

All these factors have a bearing on our works and results are sure to contain errors if
these factors are not controlled.

9. VIOLATIONS
Failure to apply a good rule is also known as a violation. Violations are classified as
human error when the intentional action does not achieve the desired outcome.

Violations tend to be well-intentioned, targeting desired outcomes such as task

completion and simplification.

Where violations involve acts of sabotage designed to cause damage, the planned action
(violation) has achieved the desired outcome (damage). This type of behaviour does not
constitute human error and, following investigation, should be managed through the
application of appropriate disciplinary measures.

There are three main types of violations pertaining to human error:

1. routine
2. situational
3. exceptional

A routine violation is one which is commonplace and committed by most members of

the workplace. For example, in a particular office building it is against the rules for
personnel to use the fire escape stairwell to move between floors, but it is common
practice for people to do so anyway.

A situational violation occurs, as its name suggests, in response to situational factors,

including excessive time pressure, workplace design, and inadequate or inappropriate
equipment. When confronted with an unexpected or inappropriate situation, personnel
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may believe that the normal rule is no longer safe, or that it will not achieve the desired
outcome, and so they decide to violate that rule. Situational violations generally occur as
a once-off, unless the situation triggering the violation is not corrected, in which case the
violation may become routine over time.

An exceptional violation is a fairly rare occurrence and happens in abnormal and

emergency situations. This type of violation transpires when something is going wrong
and personnel believe that the rules no longer apply, or that applying a rule will not
correct the problem. Personnel choose to violate the rule believing that they will achieve
the desired outcome.

Violations are classified as human error only when they fail to achieve the desired
outcome. Where a violation does achieve the desired outcome, and does not cause any
other undesired outcomes, this is not human error. These types of violations may include
violation of a bad rule, such as a procedure that, if followed correctly, would trip the
plant. In such cases, a review of the rules and procedures is advisable.

4. POOR COMMUNICATION
Having good communication skills in the workplace is vital to make yourself understood
and ensure that your employees are clear on the instructions that you give.
Misunderstands due to poor communication can easily result in errors at work which can
have a knock-on effect on productivity, profits, and customer relationships.

Communication errors may occur in many forms:

1. Miscommunication Due To Poor Listening Skills

No matter how good the manager is at expressing themselves, if the employees do
not listen effectively, the message will be missed.

Poor listening skills make it more likely for information to be missed or

misinterpreted and can cause problems in working relationships
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2. Miscommunication Due To Incorrectly Reading Body Language

A good communicator can learn to read the body language of a prospect during a
sales interaction to discover what they are really thinking, as what they say may not
tell the whole story.

Its equally important for employees to learn to control their own body language in
order to appear open and attentive when talking to clients.

3. Miscommunication in Telephone Calls

As the aspect of body language is missing in a telephone call, its even more
important to ensure that your message is clear. We often rely on facial expressions in
conversation to convey humour, sarcasm and other subtleties that may be lost in
telephone conversation.

People must be extra aware when engaging in telephone conversations that they are
not misunderstood.

4. Miscommunication in Emails
Emails are perhaps the most common communication medium to be misunderstood,
as not only are they missing the visual aspect of facial expressions and body
language but also the tone of voice that is so important for understanding in normal
speech.

Its important in emails to be very clear and literal in the language used and to stay
away from jokes and sarcasm that may be missed.

5. Miscommunication in Language
We live in a multicultural society and it is not at all uncommon to be working with
either colleagues, employees or clients for whom English is not their first language.

When dealing with people from a different cultural background, try to be aware of
words and phrases that may cause confusion and clarify where necessary.
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METHODS TO MANAGE AND AVOID ERRORS

1. SELF DISCIPLINE
Contrary to common belief, self-discipline does not mean being harsh toward yourself,
or living a limited, restrictive lifestyle. Self discipline means self control, which is a sign
of inner strength and control of yourself, your actions, and your reactions.

Self discipline gives you the power to stick to your decisions and follow them through,
without changing your mind, and is therefore, one of the important requirements for
achieving goals.

Self discipline expresses itself in a variety of ways:

Perseverance.
The ability not to give up, despite failure and setbacks.
self control.
The ability to resist distractions or temptations.
Trying over and again, until you accomplish what you set out to do.

SELF-DISCIPLINE HELPS YOU:

1. The greatest focus you have ever seen: A person with great self-discipline can be
extremely focused on accomplishing their goals. Theyre completely disciplined in
the way that they spend their time and make sure that every minute of their day is
spent making a positive change.

2. Finding newfound respect: Your self-discipline can command newfound respect

from friends and colleagues. If people value your discipline and hard work it is hard
for them not to respect you.

3. Keeping fit and healthy: With the help of self-discipline you can work at creating a
schedule for your health. This means keeping active and staying active as well as
eating healthy foods regularly to maintain your health.

4. Happiness: By feeling as though you can accomplish anything and having the
discipline to stick with any task, you can make your wildest dreams come true and be
happier/more self-actualized as a person.
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5. Saying goodbye to stress: Self-discipline ensures that you can experience less
anxiety and you dont fear the outcome of a difficult goal because you can rise above
the stress and get the job done.

All these help a worker to minimise and avoid errors at work.

2. SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

A safety management system (SMS) is a systematic approach to managing safety,
including the necessary organisational structures, accountabilities, policies and
procedures.

Benefits
Safety Management Systems would enable a company to better comply with the
rules and other requirements and also help in minimizing occupational illnesses,
injuries and errors.
Apart from these obvious advantages, Safety Management System would also
keep down the business expenses.
It would reduce the number of mistakes and subsequently eliminate the cost of
correcting these mistakes.
It would make sure that your business complies with the laws and positively
influence your organization in many other ways.

Key Processes
The key processes of an Effective Safety Management System should come with the
following:

A method for hazard identification

A process which would collect all the safety related data
A standard risk management approach for assessing risks and applying measures
Management tools for measurement of the performance. These tools would
determine if the safety goals of the company is being achieved
Quality assurance processes which would help in constant enhancement of the
safety performance of the business.
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3. FORMAL BRIEFING
A formal briefing brings managers together with their teams on a face-to-face basis so
that information can be delivered, questions asked and feedback collected. A formal
briefing system is an excellent way to enable communication upwards, downwards and
sideways throughout an organisation.

BENEFITS OF FORMAL BRIEFING

Formal briefing provides a channel for delivering clear messages and encouraging
open communication

Timely face-to-face communication prevents rumour and the grapevine from gaining
credibility

Its a great form of two-way communication - its not just about informing people, but
listening and responding to questions and concerns

It enables questions and suggestions to be fed back from staff to the top

It develops greater awareness and involvement at all levels

Briefing develops a shared sense of mission, vision, collective aims and reasons why
were here

It ensures that staff are kept up to date on performance, results, progress and policy
changes

4. COACHING & MENTORING

At the workplace, coaching and mentoring is used when the management finds that there
are working individuals who need to enhance their potentials to perform better in their
jobs and to be more productive.

There may be skills that need to be strengthened, lapses in working behaviour and
issues with performance output corrected at certain employees. Once this is assessed,
these employees will be recommended for coaching. The coaches are usually the
supervisors and managers. The company may even have a delegated coach for that
particular department.
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Benefits to the Coach or Mentor

The coach / mentor plays a very important role in transferring knowledge to the
individual and helps the person in enhancing his personal and professional growth. The
following reasons explain the importance of coaching and mentoring to the people who
are conducting it:

Increased job satisfaction

Further enhancement of their own skill level
Advantage of their own professional development
Enhanced skill in problem analysis and strategic thinking
Develops self-esteem

Benefits to the Learner

Increases self-confidence and self-esteem
Promotes professional career growth
Enhances skills
Identifies weak areas and turns them into potential successes
Develops good relationship with the supervisor
Enhances problem analysis
Reduces the feeling of low self-worth and frustration
Provides an opportunity to think about a better work role and career
Gives a focused attention in the aspect of training and development

Benefits to the Organization

Higher employee retention
Competitive advantage with more skilled and well-performing employees
Increased skill set and knowledge levels of the people
Greater chances of attaining goals
Succession planning
Full utilization of human resources
Enhancement of communication within the organization
Strengthening of company culture and ethics

All these benefits directly or indirectly help to reduce errors in the workplace.
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5. TRAINING
Training is the process of enhancing the skills, capabilities and knowledge of employees
for doing a particular job. This process moulds the thinking of employees and leads to
quality performance of employees. It is continuous and never ending in nature.

Reducing Mistakes
Along with training being important for acquiring new skills and refreshing or refining
existing knowledge and skill sets, another of its important uses is to reduce mistakes and
improve quality.

As far as errors, mistakes and rejected defective products are concerned, it is likely to
be the case that the problems stem from a lack of training.

Workers may not have all of the required knowledge necessary to assemble a product,
especially if it is a complex one, or they may not be completely proficient in a skill that is
required in order to manufacture the item to the expected standard. Not only can this
lead to poor customer satisfaction, it can also affect the health and safety of people.

For example the products themselves may cause a danger if they are not assembled
correctly such as being a fire hazard or causing injury if they were to fall apart.
Alternatively if the products themselves are safety equipment, any defectiveness in them
can have serious repercussions as it may lead to death or make an injury worse which
may not have occurred had the safety product done what it should have.

Training can also be utilised to improve quality. Improving employee's knowledge of

certain techniques and methods can result in them producing better quality work, not to
mention increasing their productivity.

Addressing Weaknesses
Most employees have some weaknesses in their workplace skills. A training program
allows you to strengthen those skills that each employee needs to improve. A
development program brings all employees to a higher level so they all have similar
skills and knowledge.

This helps reduce any weak links within the company who rely heavily on others to
complete basic work tasks. Providing the necessary training creates an overall
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knowledgeable staff with employees who can take over for one another as needed, work
on teams or work independently without constant help and supervision from others.

Improved Employee Performance

An employee who receives the necessary training is better able to perform her job. She
becomes more aware of safety practices and proper procedures for basic tasks. The
training may also build the employee's confidence because she has a stronger
understanding of the industry and the responsibilities of her job.

This confidence may push her to perform even better and think of new ideas that help
her excel. Continuous training also keeps your employees on the cutting edge of
industry developments. Employees who are competent and on top of changing industry
standards help your company hold a position as a leader and strong competitor within
the industry.