Human error is a negative occupational hazard whose consequences affect human safety, economic aspects, customer satisfaction and corporate reputation.  Failures can sometimes arise from random circumstances but in most cases the human factor will prevail as the leading cause. 

The term “Accident Proneness” relates to the fact that certain individual characteristics may affect one’s tendency to be involved in different types of failures, mistakes, human errors, violations and accidents.  Numerous research works in the fields of occupation, driving and sports support the existence of such a tendency and point to a causal relationship between it and certain personality-cognitive profiles.  It has also been found that certain behavioral elements which are related to “small” everyday failures can increase the probability of involvement in more significant failures.

An accident proneness measurement tool is under development as part of current reasearch and connections are examined between it and different personality and cognitive characteristics as well as between  various other criteria.  Such a measurement tool may contribute to the effectiveness of occupational diagnosis, training and advice.