Investigating occupational accidents based on the Human Factors Analysis and System Classification (HFACS) method: a case study in an industrial and mining company

Background and aims: Human errors are a significant issue in various work environments, including industry and mining. This study aims to investigate occupational accidents in a large industrial-mining company based on the human factors analysis and classification system (HFACS) method. Materials and methods: The study conducted a retrospective longitudinal analysis of 253 mining industrial accidents from 2011-2019 using the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS). Descriptive statistics, such as frequency and percentage of subgroups at each level, were calculated using the HFACS method and SPSS software. Results: The type of accident that occurred was related to throwing/collision or contact with a foreign object, which resulted in a total of 232 injured people and one dead person. Statistical analysis showed no significant link between the accident type and the educational levels of those involved, as indicated by a P-value greater than 0.05.Still, it showed a significant relationship with three other demographic variables: age, marital status, and work experience (P-Value˂0.05). The highest frequency and percentage of the causes of accidents were also due to organizational effects and unsafe practices. Discussion and conclusion:. The study found that the frequency of human errors in the levels of unsafe supervision and unsafe practices significantly contributed to the occurrence of occupational accidents in the company. Analyzing accidents and understanding the relationship between causal factors at the four levels of the HFACS method is vital for implementing effective strategies to reduce accidents.