It’s impossible to avoid human error, but it can be controlled. You can take many steps to reduce the risk of human error within your business, even if it fits within the construction and engineering sector. There are methods that can be the difference between a successful project to a stalled process, or a project that ends with disaster.

Within this article, we’ll investigate two major facets to this problem: One being the human side and other, the technological side. If businesses can address both, they will likely reduce human error.

The Skill-Rule-Knowledge model

The Skill-Rule-Knowledge model is one of the most tried-and-tested methods to reduce the danger of human error. As the name suggests, this model is comprised of three elements:

Skill — the point in which an activity becomes second nature, without a need for active thought.
Rule — the act of following demonstrated guides.
Knowledge — the need for training so a worker can identify and respond to risks.

Putting these practices into place, is a good place to start, however there’s still a variable that brings a certain level of risk within any process. People have lapses in judgment, a bad day in the office or distracted for a second that results in the whole process changing in an instant.

Thankfully, technology has come a long way and because of that, the variable can be reduced further addressing human error with tool innovations.

Switch manual processes to automated ones

Drones

Drones were introduced to the construction sector and since then, processes have shifted from human hands into automated ones. Despite the sector’s reputation for being slow in picking up new technology, between 2018 and 2019 the industry saw a 239% increase in the use of drones in the workplace.

It doesn’t come with any surprise either, seeing that the technology can be used across many areas within construction, including security improvements, waste monitoring and land surveying. These machines can also be deployed into areas that would otherwise prove a risk to workers, such as high altitudes or uneven terrain. After all, a broken drone can be replaced!

Controlled Bolting

Technology has generally improved many aspects of the working world, especially within the engineering sector. There have been many advances in recent years that, primarily, focus on shifting processes from the hands of people to the hands of machines.

There’s also a middle ground, where machines are aiding people and making processes safer by eliminating the possibilities of injuries. This is done by allowing the worker to stand at a safe distance while mechanisms are moving. For example, controlled bolting is a much safer process compared to manual bolt tightening.

Any manual production tends to take more time and as more time passes, the levels of fatigue can increase along with the risk of accidents or injury. By using a more controlled process like hydraulic torque wrenches, the process of loosening and tightening bolts is not only much faster, but safer for workers than a physical, manual process.

Technical Director of HTL Group, Bob Fogerty noted the benefits of controlled bolting. He said “Controlled bolting is a perfect example of innovative technology that lowers risk in the workplace, providing the people are properly trained by professionals. It is up to employers to ensure that all operators undergo the appropriate technical training, to certify them as highly-skilled and knowledgeable in all aspects of controlled bolting.”

So, as health and safety expand across many industry sectors, companies are looking for ways to reduce the risks to a minimum. With a focus on how technology can reduce the human element of error, the Construction and Engineering sector is adapting to technology.

Sources:

https://www.ihasco.co.uk/blog/entry/1445/can-human-error-be-avoided-in-the-construction-sector

https://www.bbntimes.com/en/technology/how-the-construction-industry-can-utilize-drones