The Man in the Middle — Some Accidents Caused by Simple Mistakes

Introduction This article describes some incidents which occurred because someone made a simple mistake, such as forgetting to open a valve or pressing the wrong button. The mistakes were not due to lack of training or ability—in all the cases described the men knew what they should do and were capable of doing it, but had a moment of aberration or forgetfulness. The article discusses the probability of such mistakes and the action that should be taken to prevent them.