Functional Safety 2014

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November 2014

Page 14 of 14

by systematic human failures. Some of the most recent incidents such as the Buncefield oil storage

terminal fire and the Gulf of Mexico oil spill were largely due to systematic human failures.

Although ergonomics is being considered for the location of equipment and the operation of the

central control room, it is unusual to integrate human factors in the early stage of a project’s safety

lifecycle. As concluded from the UK HSE survey, human error occurs throughout all phases of the

safety lifecycle and more than 80% of accidents are attributable in some degree to human error.

Understanding human weakness and applying constructive attitudes by using a systematic approach

in the early stages of the safety lifecycle could be one of the most effective ways to minimise

systematic failures caused by human errors. Last of all, avoid complexity in design and don’t over-

estimate human reliability.