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Searching for the origins of the myth: 80% human error impact on maritime safety

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  • Wróbel, Krzysztof

Abstract

There is a strong belief among researchers that humans contribute to some 80% of industrial accidents, including those occurring in shipping. However, few sources give actual evidence and hard data to support this statement, and even fewer sources provide a detailed analysis of what where the actual human factors or errors causing the accidents. Therefore, a literature review has been performed to verify the common belief and identify its source. A total of 292 documents has been reviewed. Results indicate that although original research generally agrees that a human error constitutes a significant contribution to the maritime accident occurrence, the widely accepted 80% rate itself in unsubstantiated.

Suggested Citation

  • Wróbel, Krzysztof, 2021. "Searching for the origins of the myth: 80% human error impact on maritime safety," Reliability Engineering and System Safety, Elsevier, vol. 216(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:reensy:v:216:y:2021:i:c:s0951832021004567
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ress.2021.107942
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    References listed on IDEAS

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