According to Dr. James Reason, there are two types of human failure that can occur. They are:

According to Dr. James Reason, there are two types of human failure that can occur. They are:

• A. immediate and delayed
• B. active and latent
• C. internal and external
• D. visible and hidden

Answer: (B)

James Reason divides human failure into two categories: active failures and latent conditions. Active failures are unsafe acts that happen at the point of performance—the mistakes, slips, or lapses that a person makes while actually doing the task. These are the kinds of mistakes you can notice in the moment, such as a clinician administering the wrong dose or a pilot misreading an instrument. Latent conditions are the hidden weaknesses in the system that don’t cause harm by themselves but create a dangerous environment over time. These include design flaws, gaps in procedures, inadequate training, maintenance issues, or management decisions. They lie dormant until they line up with an active failure to produce an accident or near-miss. Reason’s idea is often illustrated with the Swiss cheese model: multiple layers of defense have holes, and when the holes align with an active error, harm occurs. The other descriptions (immediate vs delayed, internal vs external, visible vs hidden) don’t capture this frontline-versus-system dynamic in the same way, so they aren’t the correct framing.

James Reason divides human failure into two categories: active failures and latent conditions. Active failures are unsafe acts that happen at the point of performance—the mistakes, slips, or lapses that a person makes while actually doing the task. These are the kinds of mistakes you can notice in the moment, such as a clinician administering the wrong dose or a pilot misreading an instrument.

Latent conditions are the hidden weaknesses in the system that don’t cause harm by themselves but create a dangerous environment over time. These include design flaws, gaps in procedures, inadequate training, maintenance issues, or management decisions. They lie dormant until they line up with an active failure to produce an accident or near-miss.

Reason’s idea is often illustrated with the Swiss cheese model: multiple layers of defense have holes, and when the holes align with an active error, harm occurs. The other descriptions (immediate vs delayed, internal vs external, visible vs hidden) don’t capture this frontline-versus-system dynamic in the same way, so they aren’t the correct framing.