Human reliability

Human reliability (also known as human performance or HU) is related to the field of human factors and ergonomics, and refers to the reliability of humans in fields including manufacturing, medicine and nuclear power. Human performance can be affected by many factors such as age, state of mind, physical health, attitude, emotions, propensity for certain common mistakes, errors and cognitive biases, etc. Human reliability is very important due to the contributions of humans to the resilience of systems and to possible adverse consequences of human errors or oversights, especially when the human is a crucial part of the large socio-technical systems as is common today. User-centered design and error-tolerant design are just two of many terms used to describe efforts to make technology better suited to operation by humans. People tend to overestimate their ability to maintain control when they are doing work. The common characteristics of human nature addressed below are especially accentuated when work is performed in a complex work environment. Stress - The problem with stress is that it can accumulate and overpower a person, thus becoming detrimental to performance. Avoidance of mental strain - Humans are reluctant to engage in lengthy concentrated thinking, as it requires high levels of attention for extended periods. The mental biases, or shortcuts, often used to reduce mental effort and expedite decision-making include: Assumptions – A condition taken for granted or accepted as true without verification of the facts. Habit – An unconscious pattern of behavior acquired through frequent repetition. Confirmation bias – The reluctance to abandon a current solution. Similarity bias – The tendency to recall solutions from situations that appear similar Frequency bias – A gamble that a frequently used solution will work. Availability bias – The tendency to settle on solutions or courses of action that readily come to mind. Limited working memory - The mind's short-term memory is the “workbench” for problem solving and decision-making.