People do not err intentionally. Error is a human action that unintentionally departs from expected behavior. Error is behavior without malice or forethought; it is not a result. Human error is provoked by a mismatch between human limitations and environmental conditions at the job site, including inappropriate management and leadership practices and organizational weaknesses that set up the conditions for performance.
SLIPS are errors made when you don’t pay attention or your plan is incorrectly carried out (e.g., you intend to drive to the store but turn the way you usually do to go to work).
LAPSES occur because you fail to carry out an intended action, usually due to a memory failure (you forget to buy something at the store).
Slips and lapses can be classified by type of behavior when it occurs with respect to physical manipulation of facility equipment. The following categories describe how an incorrect or erroneous action can physically manifest itself or ways an action can go wrong: