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A taxonomy of human communication errors and application to railway track maintenance

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Abstract

This paper proposes a communication error taxonomy that takes into account both the aspects of communication which are unique to human performance and those which can fit into broader human error classifications. Relevant taxonomy elements are applied to communication errors related to railway track maintenance. The analysis was based on communication data captured from voice recordings of conversations between signallers and trackside personnel. The recordings were transcribed and then classified in relation to communication topic and error types. These data provide a better understanding of the communication process and also provide human error probability data for use in human reliability assessment.

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Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of the Rail Safety and Standards Board which sponsored the investigations into Railway Track Maintenance.

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Correspondence to W. H. Gibson.

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Gibson, W., Megaw, E., Young, M. et al. A taxonomy of human communication errors and application to railway track maintenance. Cogn Tech Work 8, 57–66 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10111-005-0020-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10111-005-0020-x

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