Working conditions can lead to human errors
The reasons behind human errors at work may often lay in factors related to working conditions. Time pressure, unclear instructions and indiscernible danger warnings predispose workers to human errors. This was the finding of the survey of the Better work flow, less error: Decreasing human errors at work (SUJUVA) project. Achieving zero accidents requires dealing with the reasons behind human errors as well as the commitment of the whole work community to safety-promoting practices.
Specialist Researcher Virpi Kalakoski from the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (FIOH) presents the preliminary results of the SUJUVA project at the International Symposium on Culture of Prevention, on 25–27th September in Helsinki. The symposium deals with new perspectives to the culture of occupational safety.
”Memory and attention have their limits in the same way as physical characteristics. No-one throws us ten balls and wonders why we cannot catch them all with only two hands. The brain’s functional capacity limits are not visible, and are thus not taken into consideration,” says Virpi Kalakoski, leader of the SUJUVA project.
Matching work demands to human capacities helps prevent human errors
Human errors are a key aspect of occupational accidents. When you are under time pressure you may fail to notice all essential factors. Unclear instructions make it difficult to prioritize. If warnings or dangerous areas are difficult to distinguish, errors increase.
”Work-related factors explained up to fifty per cent of the frequency of human errors in our study,” reveals Kalakoski.
Over fifty per cent of workers reported daily encountering situations in their work in which they have to be cautious of moving objects. Over forty per cent have to do or monitor several things at one time. A quarter of the respondents said that every day their work is constantly disturbed or interrupted, or that they work in disruptive noise. A third of the workers weekly felt under time pressure in their work.
The SUJUVA project’s survey was sent to 2951 potential respondents, of which 1681 workers in maintenance, construction and logistics replied. The response rate of the survey was 57 per cent. The project’s results can be applied in fields of ordinary physical work in which tasks and working conditions are complicated, constantly changing and involve the use of machinery and devices. The project is funded by The Finnish Work Environment Fund and Finavia Ltd., Keslog Ltd., UPM Timber and VR Track Ltd. are among its co-operative partners.
Towards zero accidents
”It is estimated that if all ILO Member States used the best accident prevention strategies and practices that are already easily available, some 300,000 deaths and 200 million accidents could be prevented annually,” says Markku Aaltonen, Team Leader at FIOH.
One way in which to do so is to intervene in the reasons behind human errors. These errors can be decreased by changing working conditions, tools and modes of operation so that workers are not placed in situations that cause unnecessary strain and exposure to errors.
Professor Gerard Zwetsloot, from the Dutch research institute TNO Safe & Healthy Business, claims that the prevention of accidents and the promotion of well-being at work should be mainstreamed into business practices and macro policies.
– At the organizational level, occupational safety culture requires the implementation of preventive and promotional activities, but most of all the ‘internalization’ of health, safety and well-being at work into the mindsets and behaviour of managers and employees”, Zwetsloot claims.
The Finnish Institute of Occupational Health is organizing the Culture of Prevention symposium in co-operation with the Korean KOSHA research institute, the French INRS research institute and the international ISSA organization. The conference will be attended by 170 researchers and experts from almost 30 different countries.
Further information
Better work flow, less errors: Decreasing human error at work (SUJUVA) project
Virpi Kalakoski, Specialist Researcher, FIOH, tel. +358 30 474 2242, virpi.kalakoski[at]ttl.fi
Henriikka Ratilainen, Research Engineer, FIOH, tel. +358 30 474 2802, henriikka.ratilainen[at]ttl.fi
Zero accidents
Markku Aaltonen, Team Leader, tel +358 30 474 2784, +358 40 506 7918, markku.aaltonen[at]ttl.fi
Professor Gerard Zwetsloot, TNO Safe & Healthy Business, gerard.zwetsloot[at]tno.nl
Finnish Zero Accident Forum
www.ttl.fi/en > Topics > Safety at work > Occupational accidents > Finnish Zero Accident Forum
Symposium programme: International Symposium on Culture of Prevention – Future Approaches
The Finnish Institute of Occupational Health researches, develops and specializes in well-being at work. It promotes occupational health and safety and the well-being of workers. It is an independent institution under public law, working under the administrative sector of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. It has six regional offices, and its headquarters are in Helsinki. It employs just under 800 people.