Reducing Human Error Consulting Services

STAT-A-MATRIX can provide experienced specialists to give advice and deal with human error in a variety of ways, including:

• Investigation of serious incidents and guidance to avoid repetition
• Assessment of vulnerability to error in specific activities, or more broadly
• Advice about how to build an organization with enhanced human reliability
• Detailed examination of “failure critical” tasks to optimize human reliability
• Review of plans for new or changed activities or facilities to assess error risk
• Review of plans for “once-off” events (e.g., conferences, launches, etc.)
• Advice about error risks in organization expansion, merger, downsizing, etc.
• Advice to professionals in other disciplines (PR, HR, Legal, etc.)

Consulting services are usually provided following a one-day session during which the consultant will provide a briefing about causes of human error and methodologies likely to be deployed during the assignment. Scope of the assignment will be defined, together with expected outcomes, reporting requirements, etc.

Consultancy assignments generally follow systematic ERR (Error Risk Reduction) methodologies, although these may be augmented by special techniques where appropriate. This approach draws on the PIRCOS knowledge base to examine a wide range of potentially adverse influences on the scoped activity. (PIRCOS = Process, Information, Resources, Competence Deficits, Organization, Stressors)

In urgent cases, consultancy services can usually be provided on short notice and conducted expeditiously.

STAT-A-MATRIX can apply this methodology proactively on a “local” level, to address specific areas of concern, or on a “generic” level to address RIFs that have a wider organizational impact and provide strategic guidance to help develop policies and practices for increasing human reliability. Where serious incidents have occurred, ERR methodology can be used to investigate its causes to avoid repetition and apply the lessons learned much more widely. Proactive and occasional reactive applications of ERR give evidence of sound corporate governance in addressing human error that provides regulators, customers, shareholders, and the public with justifiable reassurance.