Human problems with computer control in process plants

The application of computer control continue to grow. If lessons can be learnt from the incidents that have occurred, they may be prevented from happening again. This paper describes some incidents that have occurred in computer-controlled process plants. The errors are, of course, human errors, failures to foresee or allow for equipment failures or failures to foresee how operators will respond to the equipment. The computers provided new and easier opportunities for making old errors.