What analytical technique is specifically designed for human error prediction?

The THERP (Technique for Human Error Rate Prediction) is specifically designed to assess and predict human error rates in various tasks and environments. It provides a systematic method for evaluating human performance and identifying potential areas where errors may occur. By focusing on human interaction with systems and tasks, THERP allows safety professionals to quantify the likelihood of human errors based on established data and psychological principles.

This technique essentially breaks down tasks into individual components, analyzing each component for potential human errors and their associated probabilities. This specialization makes THERP particularly valuable in industries where human factors play a crucial role in safety outcomes, such as aviation, healthcare, and nuclear power.

The other options, while important in various safety analysis contexts, do not focus specifically on predicting human error. The critical incident technique identifies and examines specific instances of error or near misses but does not predict error rates in a systematic manner. Failure mode effects and criticality analysis is an engineering tool that addresses potential failures in systems without specifically targeting human errors. Lastly, preliminary hazard analysis identifies and evaluates hazards but is a broader approach that does not focus solely on the prediction of human error. Thus, the specificity and methodology of THERP clearly demonstrate why it is the correct choice for predicting human error.