In complex industrial systems, human error has been cited as a cause or a contributing factor in accidents and disasters. The need for improved Human Reliability Assessment (HRA) methodologies that should be applied in Probabilistic Safety Assessments, ever since the early 1990s, has motivated a number of major activities in research and development worldwide. Therefore, the main purpose of this paper is to show the practical application of Human Error Assessment and Reduction Technique (HEART) for HRA in Electric Power Company of Serbia (EPCS). The usefulness of this technique for HRA has been approved in a case study of an accident which occurred during a repair on a 10/0.4 kV steel lattice tower “Maričiće“, Kuršumlija (jurisdiction of EPCS, ED “Jugoistok”, Nis, Serbia). For the purpose of this study, a database on work-related injuries, accidents, and critical interventions that occurred over a 10-year period was created. The research comprised an analysis of 1074 workplaces, with a total of 3997 employees. The case study performed at the EPCS confirmed that the HEART is based on knowledge of human activities and relies on expert opinion to determine the Error Producing Condition (EPCs) that affected the situation. The HEART can be used in different industrial systems, as a risk assessment, accident investigation and design tool. In addition, it is a relatively fast tool for assessment of human error probability that is easily applied and understood.

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Professional drivers need constant attention during long driving periods and sometimes perform tasks outside the truck. Driving discomfort may justify inattention, but it does not explain post-driving accidents outside the vehicle. This study aims to study the discomfort developed during driving by analysing modified preferred postures, pressure applied at the interface with the seat, and changes in pre- and post-driving gait patterns. Each of the forty-four volunteers drove for two hours in a driving simulator. Based on the walking speed changes between the two gait cycles, three homogeneous study groups were identified. Two groups performed faster speeds, while one reduced it in the post-steering gait. While driving, the pressure at the interface and the area covered over the seat increased throughout the sample. Preferred driving postures differed between groups. No statistical differences were found between the groups in the angles between the segments (flexed and extended). Long-time driving develops local or whole-body discomfort, increasing interface pressure over time. While driving, drivers try to compensate by modifying their posture. After long steering periods, a change in gait patterns can be observed. These behaviours may result from the difficulties imposed on blood circulation by increasing pressure at this interface.