The causes of occupational accidents in human resources: the human factors theory and the accident theory perspective

Abstract

Objectives. Despite many precautions taken in our country, the number of occupational accidents elevates continuously. In the literature, the causes of accidents due to human error are usually determined by a single theory base. However, according to the combination theorem, the real causes of occupational accidents can only be found by adopting more than one theory. The main purpose of this study is to evaluate the causes of occupational accidents in human resources with a combination of human factors theory and accident theory. Methods. We examined 600 occupational accident reports and analyzed the data with SPSS version 20.0. Results. Five basic dimensions of occupational accidents related to human resources were determined. Occupational accidents caused by tiredness and inadequacy differ in favor of the fatal accident type, while the others differ in favor of the injury accident type. The dimensions of tiredness and erroneous behavior differ in favor of the cut injury type, while other accidents differ in favor of the fall from height type. Conclusion. In the context of the combination theorem, the most dangerous causes of occupational accidents due to human resources are overload and ergonomic traps. Tiredness, inexperience and inadequacy dimensions are among the other most dangerous causes.