Psychological Error Mechanisms

Abstract

This paper discusses the role Psychological Error Mechanisms (PEMs) can play in making Operations staff susceptible to human errors in industrial supervisory control tasks. Actual supervisory control events that involved engineers, operators, maintenance and management personnel and resulted in equipment failure and potential personnel injury are used to illustrate the presence and operation of Psychological Error Mechanisms. The authors advocate that a description of Psychological Error Mechanisms (PEMs) and their role in inducing operating errors should be taught to all Control Room personnel to better prepare them to recognize and combat error prone situations.