Enhancement of Tripod-Beta Model to Analyze Accidents based on Human Factors Engineering (Case Study: Esfahan’s Mobarakeh Steel Company)

Subject Areas : HSE Management

Hanieh Nikoomaram ¹ (Assistant Professor, Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran. * (Corresponding Author))
Hossein Modaresifar ² (Health, Safety and Environment Manager, Esfahan's Mobarakeh Steel Company, Esfahan, Iran.)
Javad Kiani ³ (HSE MSc Graduate, Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.)
Mohsen Shanoofi ⁴ (HSE MSc Graduate, Department of HSE Engineering, Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.)

Received: 2019-10-09 Accepted : 2019-11-27 Published : 2022-04-21

Keywords: accident analysis, Human Error, Tripod-Beta, TRACEr,

Abstract :

Background and Objective: Industrial and occupational accidents mostly have adverse consequences. Analyzing the accidents to identify how and why they happened has been one of the key subjects in safety engineering. Tripod-Beta model is one of the most widely-used models for accidents investigation, which step by step identifies the causes of accidents occurrence. However, the role of human factors, as one of the most important causes of accidents, has not noticeably been addressed in this model. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to enhance Tripod-Beta model based on human factors engineering. Material and Methodology: In this research, Tripod-Beta model has been enhanced applying TRACEr in a way that the improved model is able to identify and analyze the human errors involved in accidents occurrence in terms of four elements: external error modes, internal error modes, psychological error mechanisms and performance shaping factors. The new model was then applied to investigate some of the accidents happened in Esfahan’s Mobarakeh Steel Company. Findings: In the enhanced model, two tables of “external-based human error” including 5 preconditions and 11 underlying causes, and “internal-based human error” including 7 preconditions and 11 underlying causes have been added to the primary model. Also, one group named “human factors” has been incorporated into the basic risk factors of the old model. Discussion and Conclusion: Considering the applicability of the new model to investigate the selected accidents, the meaningfulness of the results of the accidents analyses, and also the capability of the model in identifying the accidents causes related to human factors, this can be inferred that the enhanced model has the appropriate validity.

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