ABSTRACT
Human error continues to be implicated as a causal factor in accidents in high-risk industries worldwide. As Wreathall and Reason (1992) have so eloquently stated, the history of accidents is also the history of the human contribution to accidents. While human error is frequently seen as indicative of poor performance or aberrant behavior, this view is both counter-productive and typically untrue from the perspective of aviation safety. It is now well established that error is a natural part of human performance, and frequently unavoidable in day-to-day work activities. To this end, understanding the predictable aspects of human error in high-risk work environments, and examining the relationship between error occurrence and error management, form important new frontiers for aviation safety.
