What Is Human Factors Integration?

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Integrating Human Factors into the Design & Operations Risk Framework

Human factors integration begins with an effective framework for managing risks in hazardous industries. There are several best practices for leaders when delivering strategic objectives within a high hazard business, and several roles and responsibilities are assigned to deliver optimum individual and organisational performance to meet those objectives.

As we know, despite rigorous regulations, advanced process automation and safety management systems in place, work accidents still occur.  Hence, this highlights the importance of having proper development of competency management systems and how management can identify the types of human error and pre-conditions that increases the likelihood of error occurrence.

Critical design and analysis tools must be applied such that the ergonomic aspects of the human-machine interface are engineered to promote consistent safe behaviour. This includes technical solutions and corporate strategy to help the organisation improve its safety and operational performance. Organisational culture affects in the human factors integration in the workplace too.

Human factors integration defined as the underlying approach and process adopted by a number of key industries to ensure that the design of the systems, processes and jobs match the human capabilities and limitations.

Human factors integration relates to all the interactions involving humans, including:

• the technology they interact with
• the inputs and outputs;
• and the environment they are exposed to when working as part of the system.

A good starting point to apply human factors integration begins with optimising machines that require a few workers to handle. As these systems are more complex, they are more accident-prone and are provide more risks to the workers handling it. The failure to consider the role of the operators and tasks allocated to the machine is a huge factor in human-error accidents as more emphasis is placed on the machine rather than the one operating it, otherwise known as competence.

Competence of the operator is important. Competence, defined as “the ability to undertake responsibilities and perform activities to a recognised standard on a regular basis”, plays a key role in safety in the workplace. Competence is a combination of skills, experience and knowledge. Inadequate management of competence has led to several disasters such as the Esso Longford and BP Texas City.

Integrating Human Factors into the Design & Operations Risk Framework is a 3-day training course held from 16-18 September 2019 (Singapore). During this Masterclass, participants will discover the real challenges that HSE professionals face, in building the organizational capabilities necessary to reduce the risk associated with human competence weaknesses to ALARP. The masterclass with also cover the critical requirements for competency development in high hazard industries, both during the project development phase and in operation, as well as how to build organizational resilience for crisis management leadership and the mitigation of consequential HSE and business interruption risk.