Human Factors

Despite recent technological advances in different high risk industries, accidents continue to occur. The risk contribution from human and organizational factors are high, and this has led to a shift in focus from the technology itself, to the relationship between the human operators, technology, and the environment. Human Factors can be defined as a discipline which applies systematic methods and knowledge of the human being to assess and optimise the interaction between individuals, technology and organisation. The goal is to produce a work situation which is healthy, safe and efficient.

Scandpower performs a range of services within the field of Human Factors:

• Situation analyses: Mapping and evaluation of the present status of a work situation/workplace with respect to regulations, standards and principles, to identify improvement areas
• Function analyses: Identifying and analysing functions necessary to achieve a goal and allocating them between humans and systems (mostly a combination of both)
• Task analyses: Identifying and assessing the tasks that are necessary to accomplish a system goal. This can help to determine e.g. necessary equipment and number of equipment, manning level, and provide a basis for training schemes and for development of procedures
• Scenario analyses: Assess the human role and performance during abnormal conditions or accidents
• Workload assessments: Assess if the mental or physical workload of human operators is satisfactory at a workplace (not too high or low)
• Barrier analyses: Analysing barriers to see if these maintain safety at an acceptable level
• Safety culture analyses: Analysing the current safety climate of companies to find areas for improvement
• Verifications and validations: Verifying if a system satisfy its requirements or purpose specifically related to Human Factors (an example of such a methodology is CRIOP)
• Human reliability analyses: Assessing the human contribution to risk in risk or reliability analysis (this can be both qualitative or quantitative analyses
• Accident investigations:  Assess the Human or Organizational role in accidents 
• Lectures and courses: Given on any topic related to Human Factors e.g. safety culture management and the role of humans as barriers
• General Human Factors counselling: Human Factors specialist participating in client projects.

Human Factors methods can optimise a workplace resulting in a number of beneficial effects:

- reduced risk for human error
- increased job satisfaction
- reduced absence from work
- improved worker health conditions.

Application of Human Factors can also reduce the number of unnecessary tasks e.g. in maintenance which will further increase efficiency and reduce costs.      

Relevant links:

www.criop.sintef.no