Human in the Loop: Decoding MPD Incidents Using Practical Human Factors

To err is human. The definition of error is not abstract, error is used as a catch-all term that encompasses the failures of planned actions to achieve their intended outcome. Conversely, the root cause of an error is up to debate and tied to an organization's and/or individual's viewpoint. The old view of Human Error is based on the philosophy that systems are inherently safer than humans and as such by minimizing human interactions and removing them from the loop; the result is a safer-less error-prone system. This inherently identifies humans as the root cause of most errors. The new view is based on the theory that human errors are unavoidable and are a symptom of a systemic problem and rarely the root cause. A focus on the human element is pivotal in the prevention of errors within any given system. The emergence of automated systems decreases individuals' interaction with progressively complex systems while increasing cognitive workloads. These critical processes can often lead to errors if Human Factors are not accounted for. Most MPD operations include critical human-in-the-loop interactions that must be designed around human factors such as sensory overload, distractibility, input device deficiencies, communication failures, cognitive workloads, time pressure, and fatigue. Understanding the intricacies of Practical Human factors and its role in safe drilling operations will provide a path forward to mitigate errors and identify root causes when they occur.