Human Factors & Reliability Engineering

This book collects a high-quality selection of contemporary research and case studies on the complexity resulting from human/reliability management in industrial plants and critical infrastructures. It includes:

• Human-error management issues―considering how to reduce human errors as much as possible.
• Reliability management issues―considering the ability of a system or component to function under certain conditions for a specified period of time.

Thus, the book analyses globally the problem regarding the human and reliability management to reduce human errors as much as possible and to ensure safety and security in critical infrastructures.

Accidents continue to be the major concern in “critical infrastructures”, and human factors have been proved to be the prime causes to accidents. Clearly, human dynamics are a challenging management function to guarantee reliability, safety and costs reduction in critical infrastructures.

The book is enriched by figures, examples and extensive case studies and is a valuable reference resource for those with involved in disaster and emergency planning as well as researchers interested both in theoretical and practical aspects.

Prof. Fabio De Felice holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering. He is currently a professor at the University of Cassino and Southern Lazio, Italy and a board member of several international organizations. He has pursued research on various problems concerning industrial plant engineering, ranging from the improvement of quality in productive processes, the simulation of industrial plants and support in multi-criteria techniques and decisions (analytic hierarchy process, analytic network process), to RAMS analysis and human reliability analysis.

Prof. Antonella Petrillo holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering and received her PhD at the University of Cassino and Southern Lazio, Italy. She is currently a researcher at the University of Naples “Parthenope” (Department of Engineering), Italy where she conducts research on multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA), industrial plants, logistics and safety.