HSE Human Factors Roadmap

Recently released by the Health and Safety Executive and available at their website

The document presents a graphical framework explaining how companies can address human factors. The introductory paragraph reads "The following framework is intended to guide the reader through a practical approach for linking major accident hazards (MAH) to the assured performance of humans engaged on safety critical tasks associated with those hazards. The framework is presented as a human factors journey with key milestones. For each of the milestones there is a link to human factors topics which may be investigated by Seveso inspectors. Most of these topics are described in more detail in the UK Human Factors Inspectors Toolkit."

The framework works though the following stages:
* Major accident hazard scenarios
* Safety critical tasks
* Task analysis
* Human error analysis
* Procedures
* Training
* Consolidation
* Competence assurance

It shows that if the above are monitored and reviewed the outcome is assured human performance.

The framework includes a side-stream covering maintenance and inspection, branching off from human error analysis. Its stages are
* Engineering/automation
* Maintenance and inspection
* Task analysis
* Human error analysis.

I think this framework is simple and practical, and it is really useful that HSE have set out what they expect. Equally, I am very pleased that it is very close to what I do with my clients!