Situational Awareness Errors in Forklift Logistics Operations: A Multiphase Eye-Tracking and Think-Aloud Approach

Claudia Yohana Arias-Portela (), Jaime Mora-Vargas, Martha Caro and David Ernesto Salinas-Navarro ()
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Claudia Yohana Arias-Portela: Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Ciudad de México 52290, Mexico
Jaime Mora-Vargas: Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Ciudad de México 52290, Mexico
Martha Caro: Departamento de Ingeniería Industrial, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá 110321, Colombia
David Ernesto Salinas-Navarro: Universidad Panamericana, Facultad de Ingeniería, Ciudad de México 03920, Mexico

Logistics, 2024, vol. 8, issue 4, 1-35

Abstract: Background : This study explores forklift operators’ situational awareness (SA) and human errors in logistic operations using a multiphase approach as an innovative methodology. Methods : Ethnography, eye tracking, error taxonomy, and retrospective think-aloud (RTA) were used to study the diverse cognitive, behavioral, and operational aspects affecting SA. After analyzing 566 events across 18 tasks, this research highlighted eye tracking’s potential by offering real-time insights into operator behavior and RTA’s potential as a method for cross-checking the causal factors underlying errors. Results : Critical tasks, like positioning forklifts and lowering pallets, significantly impact incident occurrence, while high-cognitive demand tasks, such as hoisting and identifying pedestrians/obstacles, reduce SA and increase errors. Driving tasks are particularly vulnerable to errors and are the most affected by operator risk generators (ORGs), representing 42% of incident risk events. This study identifies driving, hoisting, and lowering loads as the tasks most influenced by system factors. Limitations include the task difficulty levels, managing physical risk, and training. Future research is suggested in autonomous industrial vehicles and advanced driver assistance systems (ADASs). Conclusions : This study provides valuable insights into how we may improve safety in logistics operations by proposing a multiphase methodology to uncover the patterns of attention, perception, and cognitive errors and their impact on decision-making.

Keywords: logistics; situational awareness; Endsley’s error taxonomy; eye tracking; retrospective think-aloud; forklift operators (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: L8 L80 L81 L86 L87 L9 L90 L91 L92 L93 L98 L99 M1 M10 M11 M16 M19 R4 R40 R41 R49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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