A hybrid evaluation method for human error probability by using extended DEMATEL with Z-numbers: A case of cargo loading operation

Human error probability (HEP) evaluation and prediction is one of the most significant tasks to enhance human reliability in marine industry. Among various kinds of HEP evaluation techniques, the Human Error Assessment and Reduction Technique (HEART) technique is regarded as an effective and empirical tool that has been widely adopted in various fields. However, current HEART techniques are insufficient to address HEP evaluation problem in which the self-assurance of expert's judgment and inter-dependencies between Error-producing conditions (EPCs) are considered. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to develop a hybrid HEART framework (H-HEART-F) to address this problem by integrating Z-numbers and the decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) method. First, the Z-numbers are introduced to model the uncertainty and selfassurance of evaluation information from various experts. Then, the Z-number power weighted average (ZPWA) operator is proposed to aggregate the individual evaluation information into a group direct influenced matrix. Next, an extended DEMATEL method based on possibility degree measure is constructed to determine the proportion of effect of each EPC by considering the self-assurance of expert's judgment and inter-dependencies between EPCs. Finally, the HEP estimation for the cargo loading operation in oil or chemical tanker ship is presented to demonstrate the availability and feasibility of the H-HEART-F. After that, the sensitivity analysis and comparison study are conducted to further illustrate the reasonableness and effectiveness of the proposed method.