ABSTRACT
This chapter begins by considering an extreme view: There is really no such thing as error, and the organizers of the conference were biased in assuming that there exists something that can be called “human error,” as if it were an observable object. For an event to be classed as an error, there must have been some possibility of human control. An error may imply a deficiency in the actor; a deficiency in the plant should be called a “failure,” or “equipment failure.” Errors have “causes” and mistakes have “reasons.” There is always some cause for an error although it may not always be illuminating to find it if it was an accident. In every situation there are a number of factors specific to that situation alone. These are the underlying factors that lead to the error’s being more than some residual or trivial probability, and can be spoken of as the “reasons” for an error.
