A fuzzy AHP-based approach for assessing the faulty behaviour risk at workplace

Occupational accidents could negatively affect the productivity and competitiveness of industrial firms. Technical and human-based factors (e.g., preparation of employees, risk perception) have to be evaluated for effectively assessing human error impacts in the overall occupational safety level. The paper proposes a method to assess, in an effective way, faulty behaviour risk (FBR) at workplace; the proposed approach aims also to support the continuous improvement process required by current standards (e.g., OHSAS 18001). The tool applies a fuzzy AHP-based approach to characterise FBR under the influence of technical and organisational criteria. Fuzzy logic has been adopted to add more realistic judgments - compared to 'traditional' AHP-based models - aiming to increase FBR assessment. A test case is proposed to validate the approach. Obtained results will allow safety managers and researchers to identify quantitatively impacts on the overall risk level at workplace due to human behaviour.