A study on the interaction between human errors and equipment failure rates in catering industry gas accidents (2019-2023)

This study integrates theories of human-induced and equipment reliability to examine 318 gas-related accidents in the catering industry from 2019 to 2023, with the objective of identifying failure mechanisms and enhancing preventive measures. Temporal and spatial analyses reveal pronounced regional clustering, with more than 60% of incidents concentrated in five provinces, particularly Guangdong and Jiangsu. The data also demonstrate seasonal sensitivity, as 38.7% of accidents occurred during the summer months, and a notable time-of-day concentration, with 51.2% of casualties reported between 6:31 AM and 9:30 AM. Two primary failure pathways are identified: (1) degradation in equipment reliability, predominantly due to failures within bottled liquefied petroleum gas systems (accounting for 95.35% of cases), with cylinder valve malfunctions exhibiting a strong association with operator skill deficiencies; and (2) degradation in human reliability, particularly in the context of explosion-related incidents, which constitute 36% of the total. These human-related failures involve operational violations, inadequate emergency responses, and other behaviors indicative of increased system entropy. The study proposes the development of a coordinated mechanism to enhance human-machine reliability, with a focus on controlling risk-prone behaviors during critical time windows and implementing comprehensive lifecycle management for liquefied petroleum gas equipment. These recommendations offer a theoretical basis for addressing persistent gas safety challenges within the catering sector.