Project title:
HUMAN ERROR
How to Understand, How to Detect and How to Cope

Project Leader:
Bengt Schager, M. Sc. Maritime Psychologist

Duration of Project:
The project runs from 2001 until end of 2003

This project is pursued with grants from the Swedish Government and with contribution from Star Cruises, Stena Line Scandinavia AB, The Swedish Club, Danish Maritime Institute DMI, Svendborg International Maritime Academy SIMAC and Marine Profile Sweden AB.

Abstract
The purpose of this project is to identify, map out, systematise and describe various human shortcomings as well as circumstances that can lead to actions or behaviours with undesired or dangerous consequences.

The focus is on the sources of human and interpersonal errors, and the study is conducted from an individual perspective, a group perspective, an organisational perspective and a cultural perspective.

The second and more applied phase of the project focuses on three main areas of the human factor in order to find and test suitable strategies for dealing with the undesired behaviours.

These three areas are:
• communication and comprehension;
•  perception, attention and adaptation to reality (i.e. situational awareness);
•  capacity-reducing effects of unfavourable emotional reactions and conditions.

Strategies and adapted working methods are tested in real and simulated environments to find and describe good, appropriate practices that allow human factor problems to be identified and eliminated.

The study will also describe the types of situations and typical chains of events in which there is a risk of human error within these main areas.