Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
A risk analysis process requires studying both technical failures and hu-
man errors. Human errors occur when human operators perform their req-
uisite tasks incorrectly or when they perform other non-requisite tasks that
could result in degraded system performance. These other tasks may simply
enhance the existing uses of a given system, and they can also be intentional
deviations from requisite tasks, as is the case with violations. Existing meth-
ods for human error analysis generally assess only the unintentional errors
that occur during the execution of requisite tasks. In addition, given their
heterogeneous results, it would appear that these methods are dicult to use
[2]. For this reason, new research is needed to define new and more original
methods for explaining and predicting human error, methods that are capa-
ble of taking into account the capacity of human operators to both - avoid
and correct undesirable events.
One of the proposals dealing with human errors modeling and manage-
ment introduces the so-called “socio-technical barrier” - a combination of
technical, human, and organizational means that prevents or protects against
an unwanted consequence. A basic hypothesis would hold that if all physical
barriers are operational and all immaterial barriers are respected, the human
activity is to be safer.
The transportation systems are integral part of modern society and as
such they are vulnerable in every-day life. When in use, the system migrates
through the safety boundaries. The new resulting operational space of per-
formance becomes largely positioned outside the initial safe space of perfor-
mance. This new space is characterized by reduced margins to incidents and
accidents (despite that, safety remains acceptable) and numerous violations
and deviance. The safety gap should be filled by developing a strategy and
implementing new regulations that can fight human violations.
Fig. 1. Vehicle movement factors
The movement of each vehicle is predicted upon the behavioral states
of the humans influencing the transportation process, the physical devises
encountered by the vehicle during its travel and the local environment. Ve-
hicles interact with these entities and the resulting movement generates a
sequence of events that may lead to an unsafe condition. These unsafe condi-
