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Quelle Human Failure Rate
Quelle Human Failure Rate
and Risk
Practical methods for engineers
Sixth Edition
Dr David J Smith
BSc, PhD, CEng, FIEE, FIQA, HonFSaRS, MIGasE
In more general Reliability work, risk analysis is sometimes involved. Also, system MTBF
calculations often take account of the possibilities of human error. A number of studies have
been carried out in the UK and the USA which attempt to quantify human error rates. The
following is an overview of the range of error rates which apply.
It must be emphasized that these are broad guidelines. In any particular situation the human-
response reliability will be governed by a number of shaping factors which include:
In failure rate terms the incident rate in a plant is likely to be in the range of 20 3 10 –6 per h
(general human error) to 1 3 10 –6 per h (safety-related incident).