Fast 5 with Jess Quilty

Fast 5 with Jess Quilty

What aspect of HF are you most passionate about?

I’m currently most passionate about automation design and its effects on human performance. Some serious human performance issues can arise when the human operator is required to regain manual control of failed automation, particularly if a high level of automation has been implemented and the human-automation interface is poorly designed. There is so much to say about human-automation interaction, but this is supposed to be short!

What are the positive impacts of HF that you see playing out in your everyday life?

Apart from the more obvious safety impacts, I see much needed improvements to accessibility for those with disabilities. It would be brilliant if we were a bit further along with it all, of course, but from my observation, accessibility seems to be more of a consideration in design projects than it previously was. Through my HF work I’ve been very fortunate to meet some amazing people who are very knowledgeable and passionate about pursuing equitable access, so I think the future is bright.

Why do you think it is important to ensure safety professionals have access to HF education?

Humans are fallible. The difficulty is identifying or anticipating the types of errors we make, the contributory factors, and suitable solutions for implementation. The field of human factors draws upon empirical research across multiple disciplines and contexts to help us overcome these challenges. Safety professionals with access this knowledgebase are better equipped to improve safety.?

What advice would you give safety professionals who want to learn more about HF?

I would suggest they sign up to complete the ‘Introduction to Human Factors’ course through SystemiQ Academy. I recommend this to those who are new to HF as well as those who have a fragmented understanding of the field of work but would really like to assimilate that knowledge. SystemiQ Academy also offers some more advanced courses to progress to.

What do you like to do when you’re not at work??

Reading, gardening, beekeeping, aqua aerobics, hiking and camping. At the moment I’m trying to improve my fitness to hike the Cooloola Great Walk in Queensland, Australia. The irony is that I’ll be carrying a very large, heavy backpack and completely ignoring my knowledge of anthropometrics and biomechanics.?