Human Factors - Driver for Change in Safety Management, Engineering and Risk Governance

Human factors is a unique scientific discipline that is concerned with applying specialized information and data about human characteristics; capabilities and limitations to the design of the tools; equipment and systems that humans use; tasks and jobs performed; and the environments in which they work. Human factors matters because it helps to ensure that all of these things function as efficiently, effectively, safely and comfortably, as possible.

Human factors is important to virtually every person, from simple everyday consumer gadgets and products to complex equipment and machinery, to advanced technological systems operated by specially trained users. Where human factors matters most is in the design of complex, often safety critical, systems such as aircraft cockpits/flight decks, air traffic control centers, control rooms for utility industries, transport and healthcare systems, and of course military command and control centers and related operations rooms. These management systems are often highly computerized with varying degrees of automation. If human factors is not properly considered; there is the risk of not only poor system effectiveness, but mishaps with serious and possibly catastrophic consequences. In the design of complex "human-machine systems", human factors is not just desirable, but essential.

Given the inherent, multi-disciplinary nature of human factors, it covers a wide range of human-related subjects. As illustrated in the figure above (left cogwheel), there are six main technical areas: people characteristics (i.e. physical, perceptual and psychological capabilities and limitations); equipment design; working environment (including health and safety); training and development; tasks and functions (work activities that people perform including interaction with automation); and social and organizational structure (including culture, behavior, change management and transition).

Whatever the types of work undertaken in whichever working environment, human performance is characterized and influenced by a number of different psychological factors. As also illustrated in the above picture (right cogwheel), there are six main factors: decision making (including judgement, cognitive biases and intuition); stress and anxiety; workload (low as well as high), teamwork (including communication, coordination and leadership); human error and safety; and situation awareness. 

Studies show that human factors (e.g., errors) are responsible for nearly 60-80% of mishaps and near-miss incidents. At the present time, human errors can be identified and controlled using a continuous integrated management system. Understanding the complexity, frequency and severity of human errors as well as their root cause can help business determine which innovations are needed to reduce risk, how much training should be provided, which disciplines and skills are most authoritative, and when reviews get done, how to maximize individual and organization capabilities.

Oftentimes, business has not taken a hard look at their human talent, resources, and/or developed a risk register to identify all occupational health and safety issues, especially those related to mental health and psychosocial disorders. Research has found that shift changes, fatigue, work stress, poor planning, and other human factors lead individuals to make improper or inappropriate decisions that put employees at risk of injury or illness. As another example, workers are continually exposed to indoor pollutants both at work and outdoor pollutants within their community, which impacts their wellness to perform as well as contributes to mishaps and near-miss incidents. Machinery and equipment are not well designed or suited for different physiological attributes and sometime not well maintained leading to safety hazards and risk of injury.

These and other decisions may result in catastrophic property damage, interruption in business continuity, damage to business reputation, brand, and image, as well as loss of production and profitability. Both direct and indirect expenses become burdensome, if not overwhelming. The occurrence of human factor issues can be significantly reduced or eliminated by changing the business philosophy and dynamics of the work environment, strategically improving the work process and equipment while improving safety culture and behavior at all levels within the organization. This tripartite of economics, policy, and social behavior can influence leadership to understand the cost of occupational health and safety concerns. By setting policy that makes a commitment to excellence, developing written programs and procedures, identify hazards, communicating hazards and associated risk with stakeholders, engaging and empowering employee participation, monitoring the work or project with periodicity, and collaborating on systematic changes can improve human factors through continual improvement.

By integrating risk governance principles and practice with techniques applied in the human factors; leadership can begin to improve the organization safety management of process hazards. A comprehensive review of best practices in similar industries around the world can be an effective tools to understand the way people work and the hierarchy of risk. Industry workshops and case studies review how the corporate approach can engages stakeholder input on human factors content for hard and soft skills. The outcome may be a prescriptive balance and goal setting approach that provide long-term solutions to deliver a more human approach to how business gets done.

Using predictive analytic data can help determine how human factor concerns can be applied to hazard identification and risk control. Industry market segments need to raise the bar using this information and knowledge to optimize human performance based on capability, risk, liability, productivity, and regulatory obligations. Focus on managing process major hazards through prevention by design and incorporation of more complex equipment and systems can helps workers perform at their maximum capability to improve output.

Challenges of industry continue as it requires both multi-disciplinary and cross functional collaboration (internal/external) to each organization even when manpower and resources are stretched to capacity. Industry has made progress to identify and manage process related hazards, calculate risk, and develop preventive strategies to protect workers, property, and environment. However, mishaps continue to happen and the majority of them can be linked to a human factors.

Artificial intelligence will be the next generation of technology to explore mankind at work, how work gets done, and the boundaries of production, profitability, and human performance. Our generation is at the forefront of the fourth industrial revolution. The way business gets done today will not be the business model for the future. It is important to realize that human factors is the foundation that makes change within organizations. For occupational health and safety, it will drive change in selection and use of personal protective equipment, development of administrative work practices and procedures, and engineering design. The future is here, however, business needs to explore the options to implement the changes to optimize human performance, productivity, profitability, and prosperity.