5. Methods for assessing the probability of failure of human risk control measures

5.1 The origins of interest in human error

Since the 1970s, there has been growing interest in analyses aimed at characterizing "human reliability". There are several reasons for this preoccupation. Firstly, systems are becoming increasingly complex, and are susceptible to failures with potentially catastrophic consequences. In the 1980s and 1990s, the analysis of accidents such as Bhopal and Chernobyl highlighted the importance of human error in the course of these accidents.

The need to take the human factor into account in system design has led to the emergence of methodologies for evaluating and "quantifying" human behavior using rigorous approaches. These so-called "human reliability analysis" methodologies are still used today in many sectors (industry,...