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Human Factors - The Next Frontier? |
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David
A. Moore, PE, CSP It is well understood that human factors are the dominant cause of process safety incidents. But most of the progress in process safety management is in management systems and in process equipment safety improvements. The next advance in safety performance will require a focus on human factors that includes design, procedures, training, and management issues. While the field of human error and reliability analysis is more mature in the defense, aerospace, and nuclear industries, these and other human factors assessment methods are rarely used in any formal way in the process industries. AcuTech believes this is because the available methods are not well known in process safety, and are often impractical to apply in many cases. Also, regulatory deadlines for PHA’s and base PSM or RMP programs tended to be the priority. Lastly, no commonly recognized method has been accepted as a convenient process industry standard. Industry needs to develop knowledge on the principles of human error, human reliability, safety ergonomics, and human factors in design. Available methods such as human factors surveys, HAZOPs of procedures, and task analysis techniques such as Job Safety Analysis need to be better understood and practiced. Research should focus on how human factors considerations can be made more practical and available. Opinions? E-Mail Dave your thoughts at dmoore@acutech-consulting.com AcuSafe is a presentation of AcuTech Consulting, ©2002, All Rights Reserved |
