Human factors in maintenance: a review

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to review current literature analyzing human factors in maintenance, and areas in need of further research are suggested.

Design/methodology/approach

The review applies a novel framework for systematically categorizing human factors in maintenance into three major categories: human error/reliability calculation, workplace design/macro-ergonomics and human resource management. The framework further incorporates two well-known human factor frameworks, i.e., the Swiss Cheese model and the ergonomic domains framework.

Findings

Human factors in maintenance is a pressing problem. The framework yields important insights regarding the influence of human factors in maintenance decision making. By incorporating various approaches, a robust framework for analyzing human factors in maintenance is derived.

Originality/value

The framework assists decision makers and maintenance practitioners to evaluate the influence of human factors from different perspectives, e.g. human error, macro-ergonomics, work planning and human performance. Moreover, the review addresses an important subject in maintenance decision making more so in view of few human error reviews in maintenance literature.

Citation

Sheikhalishahi, M., Pintelon, L. and Azadeh, A. (2016), "Human factors in maintenance: a review", Journal of Quality in Maintenance Engineering, Vol. 22 No. 3, pp. 218-237. https://doi.org/10.1108/JQME-12-2015-0064