Nightclub security presents some of the most difficult reliability problems in the service industry. Crowds of people, social interaction, ego involvement, high-energy atmosphere, and the effects of alcohol make security failures seem almost inevi table. This paper applies failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) to document potential nightclub-security failure modes, causes and effects, and to prioritize them according to risk. Interviews with 27 Los Angeles area nightclub operators are used to identify potential failure modes and effects. A review of the human reliability literature is then used to identify potential failure causes.
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