Investigating human error in Iran's copper mines using the CREAM based on human cognitive reliability analysis

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health and Safety
• Mining Engineering
• Cognitive Psychology

Background:

• Human error is a leading cause of accidents in mining operations.
• Understanding cognitive errors is crucial for enhancing mine safety protocols.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and assess cognitive errors among copper miners.
• To apply the Cognitive Reliability and Error Analysis Method (CREAM) in a mining context.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study conducted in an Iranian copper mine.
• Hierarchical Task Analysis (HTA) for task breakdown.
• Cognitive Reliability and Error Analysis Method (CREAM) for error assessment.

Main Results:

• Human Error Probability (HEP) varied across operational units: 0.056 (extraction), 0.0315 (crushing), and 0.0177 (processing).
• Execution errors (53.4%) and observation errors (40%) were the most prevalent cognitive errors.
• Errors were primarily linked to execution, monitoring, observation, communication, diagnosis, recording, and planning.

Conclusions:

• Cognitive error rates in copper mine operational units are notably high.
• Urgent interventions are required to improve mine safety performance.
• Further analysis of factors contributing to human error can inform more effective safety strategies.