📖 Introduction
Human factors play a major role in health and safety. Mistakes, fatigue, poor design, and unsafe behaviours
can all contribute to workplace accidents. Understanding human limitations and designing systems to support safe
behaviour is essential in modern safety management.
🎯 Learning Outcomes
- Define human factors and their importance.
- Identify types of human error.
- Explain the role of ergonomics in workplace safety.
- Suggest strategies to reduce human error and improve performance.
⚠️ Types of Human Error
- Slips and Lapses: Memory or attention failures (e.g., forgetting to wear PPE).
- Mistakes: Wrong decisions due to lack of knowledge or training.
- Violations: Deliberate rule-breaking, often due to time pressure or poor supervision.
💺 Role of Ergonomics
Ergonomics focuses on designing workplaces, equipment, and systems to fit human capabilities.
Good ergonomics reduces fatigue, improves efficiency, and prevents musculoskeletal disorders.
🛠️ Strategies to Manage Human Factors
- Providing adequate training and supervision.
- Designing safe work systems and controls.
- Encouraging reporting of errors without fear of punishment.
- Managing workload, stress, and fatigue effectively.
🔑 Summary
- Human factors significantly influence workplace safety.
- Errors can be slips, mistakes, or violations.
- Ergonomics reduces risks and supports safe performance.
- Management must design systems that minimise human error.
🚀 What’s Next in IG1
Lecture 16: Introduction to Hazardous Agents
We will begin exploring hazardous agents, including chemicals, biological hazards, and physical agents.