Human Factors (Job , Individual and Organisational factors ) theory for reducing errors at workplace : An introduction

This topic covers the basics of human behavior, human reliability, and human error that have direct or indirect impacts on safety related behavior at the workplace. For reducing errors , the human factors theory can be utilized.

? ? ?(Easy to remember by acronym JIO )

The three significant Human Factors which influence worker behaviour are :

• Job Factor ( Nature of the job/task/work.)
• Individual Factor ( Personal characteristics.)
• Organisation Factor (Characteristics of the business.)

Job Factors:

The job - Tasks should be designed in accordance with ergonomic principles to take into account limitations and strengths in human performance.

Matching the job to the person will ensure that they are not overloaded and that the most effective contribution to the business results.

Physical match includes the design of the whole workplace and working environment.

Mental match involves the individual’s information and decision-making requirements, as well as their perception of the tasks and risks.

Mismatches between job requirements and people’s capabilities provide the potential for human error.

There are following examples of the JOB factors :

• Task
• Repetitive Task
• High stress Task
• No Job Rotation System
• Job Role-? No clarity, ( e.g. Role is not defined)
• Conflicts of interest,
• Lack of control (e.g. various managers are giving unclear instructions)
• Load or Workload ( High workload ) ( Excessive workload )
• Long Working hours ( e.g. 12 hours shift and additional Over time)
• Unpredictable hours ( e.g. workers was ordered to complete production then relieving from shift)
• Changes in working hours
• Time pressure ( e.g. less time provided to complete the task)
• Environment factors ( e.g Noise , Vibration , Dust , Heat, Space, Lighting, Temperature etc.) -?
• Displays and controls system ( computers , CCTV control room)
• Ergonomic factors
• Procedures (PTW , SSW, Method Statement). ( Procedures provided to workers so they can easily understand the complex work activities)

More Examples of Executive Job factors?:

(Refer www.hse.gov.uk, HSG48)

• illogical design of equipment and instruments? -- negative Behaviour
• constant disturbances and interruptions -- negative Behaviour
• missing or unclear instructions -- negative Behaviour
• poorly maintained equipment - negative Behaviour
• noisy and unpleasant working conditions- - negative Behaviour
• No Clarity of signs, signals, instructions, and other information- -negative Behaviour
• Inadequate System/Equipment interface (Labelling, alarms, error avoidance/tolerance)- - -negative Behaviour

Organisational factors :

Organisational factors have the greatest influence on individual and group behaviour, yet they are often overlooked during the design of work and during investigation of accidents and incidents.

Organisations need to establish their own positive health and safety culture.

The culture needs to promote employee involvement and commitment at all levels, emphasising that deviation from established health and safety standards is not acceptable.

By thinking about these aspects you are asking questions about:

■ What are people being asked to do and where (the task and its characteristics)?

■ Who is doing it (the individual and their competence)?

■ Where are they working (the organisation and its attributes)?

Examples of Organisational Factors :

• Safety culture of the organisation. (Positive / negative) (negative-everyone breaks the rule)
• H&S Policies and procedures. ( existence / non-existence)
• Commitment and leadership from management.?- - - - - - - - (Management Visibility)?
• Levels of supervision. (effective supervision)--lack of supervision -negative impact on Safety
• Peer-group pressure. ( positive/ negative peer pressure)
• Committed Resources. ( allocation of resources)-- time, money and staff devoted to health and safety showing strong evidence of commitment.?
• ?Consultation and worker involvement.- -- - - - (arrangement of staff at different levels in the organisation identify hazards, suggest control measures, provide feedback, and feel they ‘own’ safety procedures.
• Worker Participation-?
• External pressures - pressures from outside the organisation including a buoyant financial state of the organisation, and the impact of regulatory bodies.
• Learning Organization (Organization is Learning from Incidents /
• Continual Improvements - the organisation continually improves its own methods and learns from mistakes.- - - - - - - - - ( Effectiveness of Organizational Learning)- - - - - - - Inadequate response to previous incidents?
• ?H&S Focus/ Priority -a strong focus by everyone in the organisation on health and safety.
• Work Pressure - (Leading to high work pressure)
• Balance between productivity and safety (e.g. Sales Vs Safety)
• Effective Communication. (arrangements)- a high level of communication between and within levels of the organisation and comprehensive formal and informal communications.?- - - - -E.g.? Management based on the one way communication- - - - - E.g. Inadequate communication of policy,?
• ?High Quality Training.
• Work patterns ( e.g. 8 hours and one shift) (Adequate Work Patterns )
• Clarity of Roles and Responsibilities? (e.g. unclear job roles &? responsibilities )
• A clean and comfortable working environment - - including general housekeeping, the design and layout of the plant. (Safe working Environment)
• Job satisfaction- - - - confidence, trust and recognition of good safety performance impact.?
• Poor work planning (Good Work Planning)
• Deficient coordination and responsibilities (Efficient coordination and responsibilities)
• ?Poor management of health and safety ( Implementation of good H&S system)
• poor standards of H&S?
• Workforce composition (Competent) (Incompetent worker)
• Manning Levels ( adequate number of people to perform that job - - - - E.g. No manning Levels
• lack of organisational groups / Existence of Organisation Groups
• leading to high work pressure
• lack of safety systems, procedures and barriers

Individual Factors

The individual workers bring to their job personal attitudes, skills, habits and personalities which can be strengths or weaknesses depending on the task demands.

Individual characteristics influence behaviour in complex and significant ways.

What are the Individual factors:

The individual factors, which are measured based on individual thoughts, interpretations, point of view, reactions and decision. It relates to individual feelings of danger or safety.

?The following Individual Factors play important role and will have significant impact on H&S Performances:

• Attitude? (Psychological factors of attitude)
• Negative thinking and attitude issues
• Aptitude ( negative aptitude )
• Negative Behaviour
• Competency ( Lack of competency) (Poor in competency)
• Knowledge ( Lack of knowledge) (Lack of appropriate knowledge)
• Ability ( No Ability) (Ability: Not able to do the work)
• Training ( Not trained, not taken any job specific training,)
• Experience ( Lack of Experience)
• Skills ( Lack of Skills)?
• Lack of maturity ( e.g. for Young Person)
• Lack of enthusiasm

• Motivation ( Low level of Motivation)?(Lack of Motivation and self-de-motivated)
• Risk perception ( Low Risk Perception) (Poor Risk Perception)
• Poor hazard awareness
• Personality -( Negative / Risk Taking Personality) ( Taking greater risk at workplace) (Unsuitable Personality)
• Not diligent ( meaning –No careful and persistent work or effort)
• Not alert- Example Distraction due to mobile or other noise sources and did accident
• Low boredom threshold
• Age, ( Young / Senior) - Young workers, or old age issues,
• Over confident
• Arrogant behaviour
• Levels of education, ( No Education / Low level of education)
• Fatigue
• Tired or Drained
• Stress, (Under the Occupational stress)
• Bored and Disheartened Staff
• Individual Medical Problem-
• Mental Ill-Health (not fully developed to understand the Safety Rules)
• Talent ( No Talent)
• Familiarity of workplace ( Lack of familiarity of workplace)?
• Sensory disability or impaired-Physical disability/incapacity (Example -It can be suffering from hearing loss, impaired vision etc.)
• Gender biased approach ,?
• Social deviances,?
• Ethnicity based discrimination ( e.g. Skin color, caste, religion, etc.)
• Work life balance (No Work Life Balance) ( E.g. Worker doing 12 hours work)
• Drugs and alcohol ( Under the influence of Drugs and alcohol)
• Health and Medical Conditions (individual medical problems )
• Violence?
• Aggression (Aggressive behaviour)?
• Thoroughness in Decision-Making ( No Thoroughness in Decision-Making)
• No mindfulness ,?
• No consciousness,?
• No due-diligence
• Physiology Problems
• Under the influence of Peers ( Peer Pressure )
• No certification
• No Qualification (Not well qualified as per job and work suitability)
• Not expert ( Lack of expertise)
• No capability to understand the H&S rules/procedures/Law/instructions
• Not proficient (No proficiency)
• No Participation ( Lack of Self Participation)
• No involvement ( lack of Self involvement)

What are the methods of improving individual human reliability?

Focused line management to improve reliability, Some examples are provided here :

• Focus on individual health,
• Well-being,
• life balance,
• motivation,
• incentives,
• reward ,
• recognition,
• appraisals,
• job satisfaction,
• job enrichment ,
• training,
• adequate task allocation, etc.