Evaluation of Human Error in Mining Operations Using a Technique for Human Event Analysis

Abstract

Background: However, the increasing advances in technology have greatly reduced the physical presence of manpower in the workplace, but in many work environments, man is still the most important and, at the same time, the most critical element. A slightest human error due to unsafe actions in most of occupational environments, can lead to a disaster. Material and method: The current qualitative case study was conducted to identify and evaluate human error in the entire mine's related tasks in 2016. In the first section of this study all the tasks were studied using HTA and then related possible errors were assessed using ATHEANA method. Results: HTA technique proved that mining operations were composed of 9 main tasks and the explosion being analyzed as the main scenario.According to ATHEANA technique the possibility of human error for each of basic event was calculated as 0.001.Due to the fact that there were 13 base events and the occurrence probability of each of them was estimated at 0.001, finally the total possibility of human error in mining operations was calculated to be 0.013. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the explosion in a mine has five sub-tasks that spark of cigarette wrappers, hand grasping and the inappropriateness of size and material, respectively, with the probability of defect of 0.004 and 0.003 were most probable errors. Therefore, it is recommended that managers and authorities take the necessary measures in order to protect the health of them and reduce the risk of human error and environmental conditions.

Keywords

• Human error
• mining
• ATHEANA