Words and Terms Used in the Licensed Training Material
The following words and terms are used in this training material and have specific management or technical meanings. The explanation following each word or term is intended only to provide only an indication of the meaning of the word or term. These pages do NOT constitute a glossary; these pages are NOT intended to provide definitions of the words or terms. The words and terms are defined upon first use in the training material, itself.
80/20 rule – a generalization of the Pareto principle
Accelerated life testing – a technique for design assessment and corrective action verification
Active error – as a category of error based on the timing of its undesired effect
Adequacy – no more and no less than is necessary to do the job
Administrative process barrier – the 1st type of barrier
Alert – a type of Level 1 Barrier
Ameliorate / amelioration – the Level 3 Barrier
Ameliorative corrective action – the 2nd type of corrective action
AND gate – in a fault tree, all conditions needed for the next higher condition
Apparent cause analysis – a technique for root cause analysis
As is / as found – the configuration of a hardware item or the existing condition of a document
Attitude – an influence on behavior
Attribute – a defining element of a hardware item, process or human
Audit – an independent assessment of an item or process
Availability – a function of reliability and maintainability
Bar chart – a tool for data analysis
Barrier – the three levels of barriers to prevent, detect and mitigate / ameliorate error
Barrier Level 1 – for the prevention of error
Barrier Level 2 – for the detection of error or of the hazard activated by error
Barrier Level 3 – for the mitigation / amelioration of the undesired effect of error or the hazard
Behavior – an action that yields a result
Belief – a contributor to one’s value(s)
Binning – combining end states in an event tree
Blame spiral – resulting in an ever worsening loss of communication and trust
Boolean logic – used in the construction of fault trees
Causal factor – the three types of causal factors
Cause & effects analysis – a technique for root cause analysis
Caution – a type of Level 1 Barrier
Certification – an independent attestation of qualification
Change analysis – a technique for root cause analysis
Characteristic– a defining element of an item, process or human
Classification of defects – a method of indicating the level of significance of a defect
Classification of design characteristics – to indicate the level of significance of an attribute
Close-in-time bias – a type of bias leading to non-conservative decisions
Coaching – a method of preventing error recurrence
Cognition-based error – the 2nd human error causal factor
Common mode failure – a failure resulting in the total loss of the benefit of redundancy
Compensatory corrective action – the 4th type of corrective action
Condition reporting and corrective action tracking – a method of preventing error recurrence
Confirmation bias – a type of bias leading to non-conservative decisions
Conservative decision-making – the 3rd field of focus
Constructability – a consideration for the design of a hardware item
Containment – a type of Level 3 Barrier
Contributing cause – the 2nd causal factor
Co-piloting – a type of operational loafing leading to non-conservative decisions
Corrective action – the four types of corrective action
Corrective maintenance – a type of maintenance
Counteracting behavior – a behavior to overcome error-inducing conditions
Critical – a classification of significance of a defect, design characteristic or undesired effect
Culture – a pattern of thought and behavior
Data element – a category of data
Defect – a non-conformance to a requirement for a hardware or process design characteristic
Defective – an item of hardware or a process that contains a defect
Defense in depth – the six levels of defense in depth or the six levels of opportunity
Degradation influence – a contributor to a failure mechanism
Design attribute or characteristic – a defining element of a hardware item or process
Design margin – a spread between a characteristic’s requirement and its maximum load
Designated challenge(r) – a behavior by which to counteract an error-inducing condition
Detect / detection – Barrier Level 2
Detection barrier failure – Error Level 3
Direct cause – the 1st causal factor
Disposability – a consideration for the design of a hardware item
Document corrective action – the 1st type of corrective action
Dropping guard – a type of operational loafing leading to non-conservative decisions
Effectiveness – adequacy and efficiency
Efficiency – adequacy at the least cost
EHS&Q – environmental (protection), (employee and public) health and safety, and quality
EHS&Q culture – a type of culture appropriately considerate of EHS&Q
EHS&Q-conscious work environment – an element of an EHS&Q culture
Employee empowerment – a counter to risky-shifting; a non-participative management style
End state – in an event tree
Environmental (protection), (employee and public) health and safety, and quality – EHS&Q
Environmental qualification – a consideration for the design of a hardware item
Equipment barrier – the 3rd type of barrier
Error – a behavior with an undesired result or effect
Error categorization – by type of behavior, timing of effect, significance, and causal factor
Error – the four levels of error
Error Level 1 – when necessary, the failure to prevent error
Error Level 2 – an initiating error
Error Level 3 – the failure to detect error or the hazard activated by error
Error Level 4 – when necessary, failure to mitigate the undesired effect of an error or hazard
Error of commission – an error category by type of behavior
Error of omission – an error category by type of behavior
Error recurrence prevention – the 4th field of focus
Error-inducing condition – anything that increases the probability of error
Error-inducing condition-based error – the 4th human error causal factor
Error-inducing conditions & counteracting behaviors – the 2nd field of focus
Error-likely situation – anything that increases the probability of error
Escape – a type of 3rd level barrier
Event – a classification of significance of an undesired effect
Event tree – a tool for design quality assessment and root cause analysis
Extent of cause analysis – a technique to find all locations of a given or similar cause
Extent of problem analysis – a technique to find all locations of a given or similar problem
Fail-safe – the most undesired kind of failure
Failure mechanism – a contributor to failure mode
Failure mode – the way by which a design characteristic or attribute fails
Failure mode & effects analysis – a technique for design assessment and root cause analysis
Failure rate – a measure of reliability
Fault tree – a tool for design quality assessment and root cause analysis
Field of focus – the four fields of focus for human error prevention
Fitness for duty – a human responsibility
Fitness for use – a term indicating quality
Five Ds – deterrents to preventive corrective action
Five-part communication – a behavior by which to counteract an error-inducing condition
Flinch – the inspection acceptance of a marginal defect
Focus – an element of situational awareness
Free-riding – a type of operational loafing leading to non-conservative decisions
Frequency and similarity bias – a type of bias leading to non-conservative decisions
Functionability – a consideration for the design of a hardware item
Good practice – a method providing an exceptional technical or economic benefit
Groupthink – behavior of individuals in a group leading to a non-conservative decision
Hazard – anything that can impart an undesired effect
Hazard-barrier-effects analysis – a technique for design assessment and root cause analysis
Hazards & barriers – the 1st field of focus
Human barrier – the 4th type of barrier
Human corrective action – preventive corrective action for non-conforming behavior
Human error – behavior leading to an undesired result or effect
Human error causal factor – the seven universally applicable reasons for error
Human error clock – a tool to provide a training opportunity
Human error prevention – the subject of this BookinarTM
Human factors – an element of human error prevention
Human performance – behavior yielding results
Independence – a contributor to objectivity
Initiating action – a direct cause of an occurrence yielding an undesired effect
Initiating error – Error Level 2
Initiating occurrence / initiating event – in an event tree
In-service inspection – a method of maintaining the quality and safety of a hardware item
Inspectability – a consideration for the design of a hardware item
Inspection – a method of determining the acceptability of a item or process characteristic
Inspection hold point – a step in a process at which an inspection is required
Institutionalizing corrective action – a means of precluding the return to an undesired state
Interpretation – different understandings from the language in a procedure
Intervention – taking the opportunity to correct an undesired effect
Investigation – data collection as a prerequisite to root cause analysis
Job analysis – a means for identifying gaps between needed and available training
Knowledge-based error – the 1st human error causal factor
Lagging PI – a performance measure that does not enable timely intervention
Lapse-based error – the 7th human error causal factor
Latent defect – a defect that cannot be identified upon initial inspection or test
Latent error – a category of error based on the timing of its undesired effect
Leading PI – a performance measure that provides the opportunity for timely intervention
Level of opportunity / level of defense – the six levels of opportunity or defense
Level of cognition – the six levels of cognition
Life – a measure of reliability
M – the six Ms
Maintainability – a consideration for the design of a hardware item
Major – classification of significance for a defect, design characteristic, or undesired effect
Malicious behavior – sabotage in contrast to error
Malicious compliance – conformance knowing that an undesired effect will result
Management oversight and risk tree analysis – a technique for root cause analysis
Manufacturability – a consideration for the design of a hardware item
Mean time to restore – a measure of maintainability
Minor – a classification of significance of a defect, design characteristic or undesired effect
Mitigate / mitigation – Barrier Level 3
Mitigation barrier failure – Error Level 4
Near miss – a classification of significance of an undesired effect
Node – in an event tree
Non-conformance – a departure from a requirement
Operability – a consideration for the design of a hardware item
Operating experience program – a means of learning from conditions existing elsewhere
OR gate – in a fault tree, any one condition needed for the next higher condition
Order bias – a type of bias leading to non-conservative decisions
Outward neutralizing – a type of operational loafing leading to non-conservative decisions
Overload bias – a type of bias leading to non-conservative decisions
Over-simplification bias – a type of bias leading to non-conservative decisions
Pareto principle – of the distribution of wealth as described by Professor Wilfredo Pareto
Pareto chart / Pareto diagram – a tool for data analysis
Part corrective action – the 1st type of corrective action
Peer inspection – a type of inspection
Peer review – a type of document review
Performance indicator / performance measure – a presentation of quantitative grouped data
Phonetic alphabet – a behavior by which to counteract an error-inducing condition
Place-keeping – a behavior by which to counteract an error-inducing condition
Poka yoke – a technique for error prevention and detection
Post-job assessment – a behavior by which to counteract an error-inducing condition
Precautionary principle – a fundamental approach to employee and public safety
Precursor – a classification of significance of an undesired effect
Pre-job briefing – a behavior by which to counteract an error-inducing condition
Pre-production item – a thing used to assess design and manufacturing process quality
Prevention – Barrier Level 1
Prevention barrier failure – Error Level 1
Preventive corrective action – the 3rd type of corrective action
Preventive maintenance – a type of maintenance
Probabilistic risk analysis – a technique for design assessment or root cause analysis
Probabilistic risk assessment – same as probabilistic risk analysis
Probabilistic safety analysis – same as probabilistic risk analysis
Probabilistic safety assessments – same as probabilistic risk analysis
Problem – an error, anomaly or departure from logic
Problem thing – the three things in which a problem may exist
Problem statement – the various data elements necessary to adequately describe the problem
Process flow diagram / process flow chart – a tool for design analysis and root cause analysis
Process qualification – an action to help to assure the quality of a process
Protection – a type of 3rd level barrier
Prototype item – a thing used to assess design quality
Qualification – the ability to perform a specific task
Quality of design – an element of the scope of the total quality and safety function
Questioning attitude – an element of a EHS&Q-conscious work environment
QVV – question, verify and validate
Recovery – a type of 3rd level barrier
Reflexive-based or reactive-based error – the 5th human error causal factor
Reliability – a consideration for the design of a hardware item
Reliability centered maintenance – a type of preventive maintenance
Risk – an element of significance; effect times probability of recurrence of effect
Risky-shifting – a type of operational loafing leading to non-conservative decisions
Root cause – the 3rd type of causal factor
Root cause analysis – techniques to ID things to be corrected to prevent problem recurrence
Run to failure – a decision to not replace a hardware item prior to its failure
Sampling plan – an economically and technically beneficial scheme for inspection and test
Satisficing – a type of non-conservative decision-making
Self-assessment – an evaluation of one’s own hardware, processes and performance
Self-revealing problem – a problem for which the undesired effect has been experienced
Sentinel event – an occurrence with a physical adverse effect on a patient in a hospital
Significance – of a design characteristic, of a defect, of an undesired effect
Significance classification – for a defect, design characteristic or undesired effect
Significance level – same as significance classification
Single failure analysis – a technique to avoid a single item’s failure from causing an event
Situational awareness – a behavior by which to counteract an error-inducing condition
Six levels of opportunity / six levels of defense – to avoid error from escaping the enterprise
Skill-based error – the 6th human error causal factor
Spatial diagram – a tool for data analysis
Specificity – the level of detail needed to retain technical and economic benefits of a method
Standard data table – to enable the grouping of data for performance and status measurement
STAR – a behavior by which to counteract an error-inducing condition
Statistical process control chart – a tool for data analysis
Statistical “t” test – to determine if there is a significant difference between sets of data
Statistically significant difference – for verifying the effectiveness of corrective action
Stop work order – an external behavior by which to counteract an error-inducing condition
Surveillance – a process assessment technique
Systematic approach to training – an approach to improve the effectiveness of training
Task analysis – a means for identifying gaps between needed and available training
Taxonomy of human error causal factors – the universally applicable reasons for human error
Technical process barrier – the 2nd type of barrier
Testability – a consideration for the design of a hardware item
Three-part communication – a behavior by which to counteract an error-inducing condition
Time-line analysis – a techniques for root cause analysis
Time-out – a behavior by which to counteract an error-inducing condition
Top response / top event – in an event tree, a system responding to a undesired challenge
Track and trend – for problems of lesser significance
Truncation – of an analysis
Turn-over meeting – a behavior by which to counteract an error-inducing condition
Ultimate event – in an event tree
Undesired effect – a result of an error or hazard activated by an error
Unsharing – a type of operational loafing leading to non-conservative decisions
Urgency – an element of significance
Value chain diagram / value chain table / value stream – a tool for analysis of a process
Value-based error – the 3rd human error causal factor
Values – contributors to attitude
Verbalization – a behavior by which to counteract an error-inducing condition
Vital few – the causes for which preventive corrective action resources should be applied
Walk-down – a behavior by which to counteract an error-inducing condition
Warning – as a 1st level barrier
Workability – a consideration for the design of a hardware item
Working instrument – a measurement device at the lowest level in the hierarchy of accuracy
Working calibration standard – a measurement device used to calibrate a working instrument
The reader is referred to the Glossary of Terms published by the American Society for Quality.