Human factors analysis and modeling of U.S. Navy afloat electrical shock mishaps

Abstract

Electrical shock mishaps account for 33 percent of all personnel injuries occurring onboard U.S. Navy surface combatants from 1995 to 1997. Clearly this indicates a need to identify the root causes and to develop intervention strategies for preventing electrical shock. Electrical shock root causal factors are identified through the evaluation of Special Case Mishap Reports maintained by the Naval Safety Center. Analysis indicates that over 85 percent of electrical shock mishaps are human factors related. Scenario analysis coupled with categorical data analysis is used to identify human factors patterns that are present in electrical shock mishaps. This human factors approach finds that the failure of two primary human factors related interventions identified in the safety literature, improper tagout of equipment and misuse of personal protective equipment, account for 37 percent of the mishaps. A stochastic model of electrical shock mishaps, including human factors related and non-human factors related mishaps, is constructed to develop an overall impression of the status quo. This model is then used to forecast the impact of correcting the identified failed interventions on future expected mishap frequencies and associated costs