Human Factors and Errors in Aviation - Research Paper Example

 Introduction Until the current period, majority of the accidents experienced in aviation industry have to some extent been caused by human errors while a few can be attributed to mechanical failure, weather and sabotage (Edkins & Pfister, pg. 27). Researchers have confirmed this issue and have asserted that despite the fact that substantial efforts have been directed towards management of various issues ascribed to aviation, accidents due to human errors have continued occurring from time to time. On the other hand, some research has indicated that the occurrence of accidents in the aviation sector have reduced significantly over the last five decades. This has made the aviation sector one of the safest ways of travelling as compared to other modes of transportation. The concept of human error according to Reason indicates a scenario whereby a person fails to achieve desired results when he/she undertakes planned actions. This failure usually occurs without the intervention or in a manner that is unforeseeable. According to Kern, there are two types of human errors that may be made in the aviation industry. They include: Omission and commission. This discussion will focus on human errors in the aviation industry and how they have contributed to the accidents that have been experienced in the aviation industry. It will also delve into the efforts that have been directed towards solving these error or those efforts that have been undertaken to reduce the chances of human errors occurring in the aviation industry. Consequently, a list of annotated bibliography will also be provided in at the end of the discussion in order to provide an insight of the resources that were used to provide this discussion. Types of Errors in the Aviation Industry According to Kern human errors have been identified as the major reason for accidents in the aviation industry. Kern asserts that there are two major dimensions of human errors that are usually made in the aviation industry. One of these human errors is the omission error where; the crew members in the aviation sector fail to undertake certain tasks that have been allocated to them. On the other hand, there is also the Commission error, which occurs when the crew members perform their tasks in an undesirable manner or in a manner that is not recommended. In this regard, the errors made in the aviation industry have been classified into two categories. The first category is made of decision-based errors; research has indicated that one of the most common type of errors that are made in the aviation industry are based on decision making. I some cases such errors have been referred as honest mistakes, basically arising from inappropriate execution of tasks as well as improper decision making processes. Moreover, research has shown that the second category of errors that may be in the aviation sector, leading to occurrences of accidents is ascribed to skill-based issues; this kind of errors is usually made by the crew members with limited amount of consciousness or with no consciousness at all i.e. when handling certain gadgets in the aircraft. Factors that may lead to Errors in the Aviation Industries Conditions of the Aircraft Operators This is among the four factors that have been attributed to the occurrence of human errors leading to accidents in the aviation industry. Specifically mental states of the crew members is a great determinant of whether or not they are going to make errors as they conduct their duties. In this regard, it usually recommended that the crew members be in an appropriate mental state in order to facilitate the effective and efficient execution of their duties. Personnel Factors One o the issues that have been ascribed to errors in the aviation industry is personal factors; specifically it has been identified to include issues such as crew management. Crew management involves those efforts that are directed towards ensuring that the crew operates in a coordinate manner thus facilitating efficacy in relation to their operations. However, in the case that there is poor coordination among the crew members, confusions may arise leading to errors made during the operations. Moreover, in regard to personnel factors, research has shown that inappropriate supervision among the crew members may also be a cause of errors that might have been identified by their supervisors and corrected in time. On the hand, supervisors may also fail to identify and correct problems that may lead to accidents. Environmental Factors Despite the fact that environmental factors have limited effects on the errors made by the crew members, it is a fact that it has a significant effect on the physical and psychological capacities of the crew members thus affecting the capacities to make effective and crucial operational decision making. On the other hand, technological environment has a significant impact on the decisions made by the crew members. Pilots that operate in environments that are characterized by rapid technology changes may be affected especially in the case that a new technology is introduced to facilitate their operations. Specifically, the design and modes of operating a certain type of technology affects greatly the performance of the crew members thus may cause certain accidents that basically arise from poor decision making or human error. Reduction of Human Errors in the Aviation Industry Due to the fact that research has shown that human errors in the aviation industry has been the major cause of accidents, many stakeholders have formulated methods that are geared towards reduction of human errors that may lead to accidents in the aviation industry (Strauch, pg.12). One of the methods used is the application of legal procedures that are directed towards the control and the management of the activities undertaken by the crew members. In many cases legal procedures are usually applied to facilitate investigation of issues ascribed to accidents as well as the prevention of accidents. Another strategy that has been applied to reduce human errors that may cause accidents in the aviation industry is the use of proper and efficient flight deck design or improving the ergonomics in the decks. Research has shown that over the last five decades, more comfortable and effective designs of the decks have been in used in order to ensure that the safety of the decks is not jeopardized; hence facilitating the reduction of incidences of errors that may occur, thus facilitating the reduction of accidents. There is also the application of the Procedural Even Analysis Tool (PEAT); this is an analytical tool that was implemented in the year 1999, to enhance the efforts of the aviation industry directed towards managing risks thus facilitating the reduction of errors made due to procedural deviation. The application of this tool involves assumption made that there are certain and specific reasons that might have compelled the crew members to deviate from following the right procedure (http://www.boeing.com, n.p). Large and properly established airline industries such as the Boeing have also introduced their own training guides that are basically meant to offer refresher training to the crew members. This has been used to promote flight safety as it involves providing information related to safety issues in the aviation industry for instance; take off safety, landing safety et cetera. Additionally, there is also the application of the Crew Information Requirement Analysis that has been applied by large airline industries, the Boeing inclusive. This tool has been majorly used for facilitating the understanding of the various ways through, which the crew members use information. Consequently, some airline industries have made efforts directed towards improving the use of automation among crew members. This is very crucial owing to the fact that it facilitates the reduction of human-associated errors. Other causes of Accidents in the Aviation Sector There is also another school of thought that have asserted that apart from human errors being the cause of aviation accidents, there are two other non-human causes that have led to approximately 30% of aviation accidents in the contemporary society (Strauch, 36). Mechanical Failure has been described as a non-human factor that has caused aviation accidents, and research has indicated that in one out of every five aviation accidents, is usually caused by incidences of mechanical failure. This can be facilitated by a failures caused by structural design problems, especially in the case that these designs are not recognized on time. Another cause of accidents that may not be caused by human-error, is poor weather conditions and sabotage; poor weather especially those that occur in contrary to the prediction of the meteorology department may result to aviation accidents. Research has shown that heavy storms, characterized by thunderstorms could be a major cause of aviation accidents. On the other hand, sabotage could also be a cause of aviation accident, especially in the contemporary society where issues of terrorism have increased over time: Plane hijackings, bombings as well as shoot downs have been associated with approximately 3% of aviation accidents (Strauch, pg. 38). However, despite the fact that human errors may not be the sole cause of aviation accidents, to some extent, mechanical failure and sabotage are basically indirectly caused by human errors. Annotated Bibliography 1. Kern, Tony. Flight discipline. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1998. Print. This is a very important source of information that was written by Kern in 1998, it was printed by the McGraw-Hill in New York. The book delves into various issues ascribed to the behaviors of the Flight Crew, specifically the manner through, which they should behave in order to ensure safety. In addition, the book highlights and describes the behavioral activities that are considered appropriate for the flight crew members. On the other hand, the book points out cases whereby improper behaviors by the Flight Crew have led to occurrence of accidents and how these errors can be prevented through discipline. 2. Strauch, Barry. Investigating human error: incidents, accidents, and complex systems. Aldershot: Ashgate, 2002. Print. In this book, written by Strauch in 2004, he focuses on a discussion geared towards investigating human errors as a major contributor to the accidents, incidences and the challenges that are usually experienced in managing aircraft complex systems. The book also delves on a description based on the various types of human errors that are usually made in the aviation industry and how they have contributed to accidents. In addition, Strauch goes ahead and provides case studies of researches that were conducted in the past to identify errors that were made, leading to accidents in the aviation industry. 3. Reason, J. T.. Human error. Cambridge [England: Cambridge University Press, 1990. Print. The book above was written by Reason. It was printed b Cambridge University Press and; the major focus of the book is human errors. Basically, it describes human errors on a wide perspective hence increasing the understanding of human errors among its audiences. The book also describes human errors that might be experienced in the aviation industry and how they can be reduced in order to ensure safety in the aviation sector. 4. "The Role of Human Factors in Improving Aviation Safety - Text Only." The Role of Human Factors in Improving Aviation Safety - Text Only. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Apr. 2014. . This is basically a website published by the aero online magazine. It focuses on a discussion based on the contribution of human errors in aviation accidents. Moreover, the website delves in the types of human errors that are usually associated with accidents as well as strategies that have been applied to reduce human errors in the aviation industry hence reducing the probability of accidents caused by human errors. 5. Edkins, Graham, and Peter Pfister. Innovation and consolidation in aviation: selected contributions to the Australian Aviation Psychology Symposium 2000. Aldershot, Hants, England: Ashgate Pub., 2003. Print. In the year 2003, McDonalds wrote a second edition of a book that was original written by Edkins and Pfister. Specifically, the book focuses on Cultures, Systems and Changes that have been made in relation to aircraft maintenance. This book expounds on an article that that was written by Edkins and Pfister. It highlights the specific changes that were made in the aviation industry in order to ensure that human errors that may cause accidents are reduced or prevented from occurring. Moreover, this book focuses on the pertinence of maintenance activities and how they can be used to reduce human errors that facilitating the reduction of human-caused accidents. Work Cited Edkins, Graham, and Peter Pfister. Innovation and consolidation in aviation: selected contributions to the Australian Aviation Psychology Symposium 2000. Aldershot, Hants, England: Ashgate Pub., 2003. Print. Kern, Tony. Flight discipline. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1998. Print. Reason, J. T.. Human error. Cambridge [England: Cambridge University Press, 1990. Print. Strauch, Barry. Investigating Human Error: Incidents, Accidents, and Complex Systems. Aldershot: Ashgate, 2002. Print. "The Role of Human Factors in Improving Aviation Safety - Text Only." The Role of Human Factors in Improving Aviation Safety - Text Only. N.p., n.d. 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