As we work on a project for a client, I am reminded of the stark contrast in HF expectations across industries. Having grown up in the chemical industries managing PSM/RMP-covered processes, Human Factors (HF) has been “a thing” since 1992. HF was very much a steep learning curve and still is for many. I spent some time recently with a client who had many opportunities in the HF arena but, to their own demise, never could grasp real HF engineering (HFE) principles within their operations.
The items below are from my HFE Checklist used in our MOC and PSSR for “safety systems.” We use it to ensure the system we are developing meets the fundamental principles of HFE. I hope it helps those who embrace HF in the design, implementation/construction, operations, and maintenance of safety systems. The items make a nice “analysis” tool against any design, not just safety systems.