Expert: Ralph Salier - 1/7/2007

Question
I am studying the cause of accidents.  In those studies, the terms ergonomics, human factors, human element, and human error appear to be used synonymously.  Is there a difference among those 4 terms?  Are the terms related?  

Answer
Hi Boris,  The human factors and human element are very much  the same, one being a more scientific name with a specific definition (human factors).  It can be related to human error but human factors looks at a much broader human behavioral view not just errors.  Thus human error is the narrow view of when we make mistakes which lead to accidents.  The forth term ergonomics has to do with the environmental aspects of our immediate surroundings.  So, the chair we are sitting in, the lighting, where and how our feet are placed etc... Ergonomic factors can lead to accidents but are generally NOT the cause.  In many cases, properly designed ergonomic factors are to help reduce or eliminater accidents.  

Human factors look at our physiometry, our mental capacity at any given moment in time and our reaction to verious types of simuli.  

Human element are the phenomena which are often the "surprizes" we as humans toss into a given situation rather then "logic or common sense" behavior.