Analysis of The Causes of Workplace Accidents in The Oil and Gas Industry at PT X in 2023 Using The Human Factor Analysis and Classification System (HFACS) Method

Abstract

The oil and gas industry is recognized as one of the highest-risk industrial sectors due to its complex operations, hazardous technologies, and intensive interactions among human, technical, and organizational factors. Despite the implementation of occupational safety management systems, fatal workplace accidents continue to occur, indicating that conventional investigations focusing solely on human error are insufficient to identify the underlying causes of incidents. This study aimed to identify patterns of human and organizational failures contributing to fatal workplace accidents at PT X during 2023 using the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS). A descriptive-analytical research design with a retrospective approach was employed. The analysis focused on three fatal accident cases documented in 2023 using accident investigation reports, incident records, and occupational safety performance data. Each accident was systematically classified into four HFACS levels: unsafe acts, preconditions for unsafe acts, supervisory factors, and organizational influences. The findings revealed that all fatal incidents involved causal factors across the four HFACS levels. Organizational culture, operational processes, resource management, inadequate supervision, tools and technology, communication, coordination, and planning were identified as dominant latent conditions across all cases. At the operational level, decision errors and routine violations consistently emerged as the primary active failures directly contributing to fatal accidents. These results demonstrate that workplace fatalities are primarily driven by systemic organizational weaknesses rather than isolated worker errors. Therefore, strengthening safety culture, improving supervisory effectiveness, enhancing competency management, and reinforcing risk-based operational planning are essential strategies for preventing future fatal accidents and improving sustainable safety performance in the oil and gas industry.