Performance optimization of human factors and safety performance using an integrated DEA-TOPSIS approach: A case study in the process industry

Stress, fatigue, and work situation awareness are key contributors to accidents and unsafe behaviors in process industries. Given the significance of these factors, this study aimed to assess the employees' perceptions of the effects of stress, fatigue, and work situation awareness on safety performance in a process industry. The data of this study were collected through a questionnaire, and their reliability was evaluated and confirmed. The Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) method was used to identify and analyze the most influential factors and sub-factors influencing employees' perceptions of safety performance. Additionally, the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) was applied to rank alternatives and validate the DEA results. Sensitivity analysis revealed that work situation awareness significantly affected safety performance compared to stress and fatigue. Furthermore, the findings showed that distraction, chronic fatigue, and demands were the most influential sub-factors of work situation awareness, fatigue, and stress, respectively. The Pearson correlation test confirmed a strong agreement between the DEA and TOPSIS results. Given these findings, stress, fatigue, and work situation awareness play an important role in safety performance of employees in the process industries.