Many system reliability predictive methods are based solely on equipme
nt failures, neglecting the human component of man-machine systems (MM
S). These methods do not consider the identification of the root cause
s of human errors, The reliability and safety of industrial and commer
cial power systems and processes (i.e., MMS) are dependent upon human
characteristics and many dependent and dynamic interactive factors [1]
, The consequences of human errors are very diverse and can range from
damage to equipment and property, injury to personnel or fatalities,
to disruption of scheduled system operation, all of which represent a
significant cost to society, This paper will focus on accidents-injuri
es and the disruption of scheduled system operation caused by human el
ement factors [2] and show that the human element is a very significan
t factor affecting the reliability and safety of electrical systems, T
he paper will initially present several case studies to reveal the fre
quency of human errors which disrupted scheduled computer and utility
system operation, This paper mill also present statistics on the injur
y accident rate in utilities and the number of days lost to injury acc
idents,This paper will present some of the factors that direct human b
ehavior and discuss how these factors help identify the possible root
causes of electrical accidents, using an accident-injury sequence mode
l to determine the cause of human errors, Knowledge of human factors c
an be used to mitigate their impact on system interruptions and injury
accidents (e.g., increased productivity, increased reliability, decre
ased errors, increased safety, etc.).