The dedicated human-factor, installation, testing/commissioning, maintenance, documentation and competency-related failure section of the AGL Failure Database. Many AGL failures do not originate from an equipment defect — they originate from incorrect installation, incorrect testing, maintenance error, inadequate documentation, insufficient training or procedural non-compliance. Division 08 records the human/installation action that created or contributed to a failure, while separately identifying the resulting equipment failure, failure mechanism and root cause.
Key principle — Record the human/installation action that created or contributed to the failure, while separately identifying the resulting equipment failure, failure mechanism and root cause. Example: incorrect connector installation → poor contact → high contact resistance → connector overheating → fixture failure.
Not a blame list — Division 08 should never become a database that simply blames personnel. Every record moves through six levels — technical failure, failure mode, failure mechanism, immediate cause, human/installation cause and system/root cause — so that “human error” is never the final answer without asking why the error occurred.
Installation of an AGL component, assembly or system in a manner that does not comply with the approved design, installation procedure, manufacturer's requirements or applicable project requirements.
Compare: actual installation ↔ approved drawing ↔ installation procedure ↔ manufacturer's requirements.
Electrical conductors are connected incorrectly or differently from the approved wiring arrangement.
Cable is installed along an incorrect or unsuitable route.
Compare the installed route against the approved design/as-built documentation.
Division 05 may record the resulting cable failure. Division 08 records the human/installation cause: incorrect cable routing.
Connector is installed incorrectly, incompletely or contrary to the applicable installation method.
The resulting connector failure should also be cross-referenced to Division 05.
Fixture is installed or adjusted without achieving the required alignment/orientation.
Verify the actual fixture orientation against the approved installation/aiming requirement.
Equipment is installed at an incorrect physical location, elevation or position.
Compare actual position with the approved layout, coordinates/reference points where applicable, installation drawing and site requirements.
Sealing of an AGL component or interface is inadequate, incorrectly installed or incomplete.
Fasteners or terminals are tightened below, above or otherwise outside the required installation torque.
Earthing/bonding is installed incorrectly or does not achieve the intended electrical safety/protection arrangement.
This category should connect with the dedicated earthing/lightning failure and testing divisions.
An unsuitable component is selected for the intended application.
Compare: installed component ↔ approved specification ↔ design requirement ↔ application requirement.
Testing or measurement is performed using equipment with incorrect, invalid or unsuitable calibration status.
Testing is performed using a procedure that is incorrect, incomplete, outdated or unsuitable for the equipment/application.
Compare the actual test against the approved test procedure.
A measurement is incorrectly obtained, recorded or interpreted.
Equipment/system is incorrectly accepted or rejected based on an incorrect interpretation of test/inspection results.
This is a decision failure, rather than simply a measurement failure.
Testing equipment produces or contributes to an incorrect test result due to incorrect operation, setup, condition or equipment malfunction.
Maintenance activity is performed incorrectly or causes unintended equipment/system damage.
A failed component is replaced with an incorrect, incompatible or unsuitable component.
Compare: removed component → required component → installed component → approved specification.
Failure is diagnosed incorrectly, resulting in inappropriate corrective action.
Troubleshoot the failure path before replacing the component.
Required maintenance activity is only partially completed or required follow-up work is not performed.
Cleaning is performed incorrectly, inadequately or using an unsuitable method/material.
Incorrect, incomplete, outdated or misleading technical/maintenance documentation.
Drawing contains incorrect technical information or does not represent the actual installed system.
Compare: drawing ↔ field installation ↔ approved design ↔ as-built condition.
Personnel use an obsolete, superseded or incorrect revision of a technical document/procedure/drawing.
Personnel lack the required knowledge, practical skill or competency to correctly perform the assigned activity.
Do not automatically assign “inadequate training” simply because a human error occurred. Establish evidence that the required knowledge/competency was absent or insufficient.
An activity is performed contrary to an applicable approved procedure, SOP, work instruction or requirement.
This last question is important for effective RCA.
Standard record structure, failure chains, RCA hierarchy, classification matrix and human-error taxonomy that apply across all 25 Division 08 failure topics.
Every Division 08 case should be converted into a standard failure record with the following fields, grouped by identification, failure, human/installation information, evidence, RCA, corrective action and reliability:
Identification
Failure
Human/Installation Information
Evidence
RCA
Corrective Action
Reliability
The most valuable part of Division 08 is linking human actions to the resulting technical failure:
Chain 1 — Connector
Chain 2 — Cable
Chain 3 — Sealing
Chain 4 — Testing
Chain 5 — Maintenance
Chain 6 — Documentation
Division 08 should not become a database that simply blames personnel. Every case should be traced through six levels:
Fixture failed
Connector overheating
High contact resistance
Poor connector contact
Incorrect connector installation
Incorrect procedure, inadequate training, incorrect revision, poor supervision, inadequate inspection, procedural non-compliance or a design/documentation issue
Human error should be classified carefully so it never becomes the final RCA without investigating why the error occurred:
Person performs the wrong action — e.g. incorrect wiring.
Required action was not performed — e.g. incomplete maintenance.
Person lacks the required competence — e.g. inadequate training.
The available instruction is wrong, unclear or outdated — e.g. incorrect revision used.
The work environment allowed or encouraged the error — e.g. inadequate document control or inadequate verification.
| No. | Failure | Primary Investigation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Incorrect installation | Installation vs approved requirement |
| 2 | Incorrect wiring | Wiring diagram/field wiring |
| 3 | Incorrect cable routing | Route/design verification |
| 4 | Incorrect connector installation | Connector assembly |
| 5 | Incorrect fixture alignment | Alignment/aiming |
| 6 | Incorrect equipment positioning | Layout/location |
| 7 | Improper sealing | Seal/interface |
| 8 | Improper torque | Torque requirement/records |
| 9 | Incorrect earthing | Earthing/bonding |
| 10 | Incorrect component selection | Specification/application |
| 11 | Calibration error | Calibration status |
| 12 | Incorrect test procedure | Approved test procedure |
| 13 | Incorrect measurement | Test setup/result |
| 14 | Incorrect acceptance decision | Acceptance criteria/review |
| 15 | Test-equipment error | Instrument/setup |
| 16 | Maintenance error | Work activity/procedure |
| 17 | Incorrect component replacement | Installed vs specified component |
| 18 | Incorrect troubleshooting | Diagnostic process |
| 19 | Incomplete maintenance | Work completion/records |
| 20 | Improper cleaning | Cleaning procedure/material |
| 21 | Documentation error | Record/document review |
| 22 | Incorrect drawing | Drawing vs field condition |
| 23 | Incorrect revision used | Document control |
| 24 | Inadequate training | Competency/training evidence |
| 25 | Procedural non-compliance | Procedure compliance |
Division 08 links every case to the Root Cause Analysis Database and provides the connection between the technical failures in Divisions 01–07 and the later RCA, maintenance, audit, competency and reliability divisions:
Many AGL failures do not originate from an equipment defect — they originate from incorrect installation, incorrect testing, maintenance error, inadequate documentation, insufficient training or procedural non-compliance. This makes Division 08 a true human-factor and installation RCA division, rather than simply a list of technician mistakes, and provides the necessary connection between the technical failures recorded in Divisions 01–07 and the later RCA, maintenance, audit, competency and reliability divisions.
Quick answers about human-factor, installation, testing, maintenance and documentation failures, as covered in Division 08 of the AGL Failure Database.
Division 08 covers human-factor, installation, testing and commissioning, maintenance, documentation and competency-related failures. It contains 25 published topics (HIF-01 to HIF-25), and is a human-factor and installation RCA division rather than a list of technician mistakes.
They fall into four groups: Installation Failures (10 topics), Testing & Commissioning Failures (5), Maintenance Failures (5) and Documentation & Training Failures (5).
Installation topics include incorrect installation, wiring, cable routing, connector installation, fixture alignment and equipment positioning, plus improper sealing, improper torque, incorrect earthing and incorrect component selection. Testing and commissioning topics include calibration error, incorrect test procedure, incorrect measurement, incorrect acceptance decision and test-equipment error.
Maintenance topics include maintenance error, incorrect component replacement, incorrect troubleshooting, incomplete maintenance and improper cleaning. Documentation and training topics include documentation error, incorrect drawing, incorrect revision used, inadequate training and procedural non-compliance.
No. Division 08 should not become a database that simply blames personnel. Every case is traced through six levels: technical failure, failure mode, failure mechanism, immediate cause, human or installation cause, and system or root cause. The system cause may be an incorrect procedure, inadequate training, incorrect revision, poor supervision, inadequate inspection, procedural non-compliance or a design or documentation issue.
Human error is classified so it never becomes the final RCA without investigating why it occurred. The classes are Action Error (the wrong action, such as incorrect wiring), Omission (a required action not performed), Knowledge/Competency Issue, Procedure/Document Issue (for example an incorrect revision used) and System/Management Issue (for example inadequate document control or verification).
The most valuable part of Division 08 is linking human actions to the resulting technical failure. In the connector chain, incorrect connector installation leads to poor contact, high contact resistance, connector overheating, connector failure and a fixture outage. In the cable chain, incorrect cable routing leads to mechanical stress, cable insulation damage, insulation breakdown, an earth fault and a circuit outage.
The failure matrix gives a primary investigation for each topic. Incorrect installation is checked against the approved requirement, incorrect wiring against the wiring diagram and field wiring, incorrect cable routing against route and design verification, incorrect connector installation against connector assembly, and incorrect fixture alignment against alignment and aiming.
Each case is a standard record grouped by identification (airport/project, location, asset or component, work activity, responsible activity or team), failure, human and installation information, evidence, RCA, corrective action and reliability. The recommended architecture runs from activity, failure event, technical failure mode and mechanism through human factor, contributing condition and root cause to corrective action, verification, preventive action and recurrence monitoring.
Wrong wiring, missed torque specs and skipped verification steps are rarely about carelessness alone — real troubleshooting means understanding where the installation process itself allowed the error to happen, so it doesn’t repeat.
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