Searching for the origins of the myth: 80% human error impact on maritime safety

There is a strong belief among researchers that humans contribute to some 80% of industrial accidents, including those occurring in shipping. However, few sources give actual evidence and hard data to support this statement, and even fewer sources provide a detailed analysis of what where the actual human factors or errors causing the accidents. Therefore, a literature review has been performed to verify the common belief and identify its source. A total of 292 documents has been reviewed. Results indicate that although original research generally agrees that a human error constitutes a significant contribution to the maritime accident occurrence, the widely accepted 80% rate itself in unsubstantiated.

Automated summary

There is a prevalent belief that humans are responsible for 80% of industrial accidents, including those in shipping, but there is limited concrete evidence to support this claim. Research shows that human errors indeed play a significant role in maritime accidents, but the widely accepted 80% contribution rate lacks strong substantiation.