THE COST OF HUMAN FAILURE; DOLLARS OR HUMAN LIVES?

摘要

Generally in industry, whether through catastrophic damage or loss of production, "failure" is measured in terms of Dollars lost. Worldwide there are sectors of industry where the workforce is merely seen as another disposable commodity rather than the biggest asset to an organisation. Conversely, as human intervention is one of the largest single causes of failure in the engineering field, even a qualified and experienced employee can be a liability. There are other industrial sectors where "profit is king", with total disregard for the cost to human society as a whole. Pollution of the environment and loss of human life is often disregarded; production must continue. This paper discusses the difference between human error and human failure and some of the consequences of human intervention. It then examines selected case studies which bring emphasis to the points raised in discussion.