Did you leave this in the copier?

NEWSLETTER ARTICLE

A common type of human error is the post-completion error, which is forgetting to perform the final task of a procedure (e.g., leaving your original in the copier when done making a copy). Previous research has shown that this type of error is not easy to reduce either through training or reminders in the form of static cues. A study in a railyard (McDonald, Joseph D., and Francis T. Durso, "A Behavioral Intervention for Reducing Post-completion Errors in a Safety-Critical System" Human Factors 57.6 (2015): 917-929) found a 65% reduction in post-completion errors by requiring that the subjects call the dispatcher near the end of the task to request their next task. They theorize that performing this new task (call the dispatcher) helped to remind them to complete the previous task.

Copyright 2016 Beville Operator Performance Specialists, Inc.