Human factors aims to understand how human capabilities and limitations impact performance in the workplace. It originated with the FAA to improve safety among aircraft engineers and has since been applied more broadly. Key goals are characterizing how environmental and individual factors influence human performance, understanding error-causing events, and creating awareness to examine the human role. Effective application of human factors principles can help reduce risks to employees and customers.

1. Understanding Human
Factors

2. The Origin of Human Factors
 A Program Initially Designed by the Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA)
 The Focus is on the Employees who Build
and Maintain All Aircraft Engines and Aircraft
 The Tools & Techniques have been Modified
for the Needs of ALL Businesses

3. The Objective
 To characterize the impact of environmental
(external and internal) and individual factors on
human performance
 To understand the Chain of Events that cause
defects or errors in daily business operations
 These events can lead to the endangerment of the
employee and / or the customer of the product or
service
 To create awareness and to examine the human
role in the workplace

4. Human Factors Definition
Human factors entails a multidisciplinary effort
to generate information about human
capabilities and limitations. This information is
applied to equipment, systems, facilities,
procedures, and job training, for continual
and effective human performance.

5. Human Factors
What characterizes an effective
employee?

6. Human Factors Attributes
 Dependable  Doesn’t like to ask for
 Willing to put in effort help
and hours  Tends to be self-
 High Integrity sufficient
 Modest  Like to think things out
on his/her own
 Distrust of words
 Doesn’t share thoughts
 Prefers to be allowed
too frequently
to make his / her own
decisions

7. Human Factors – The Dirty
Dozen
 It has been determined by researching mistakes
caused by people, that one or more of 12
common denominators (clues) are usually
present.
 These are referred to as “The Dirty Dozen” root
causes.

8. Human Factors – The Dirty Dozen
Daily Pressures
Communication
Awareness  Lack of communication
 Complacency
 Lack of knowledge
Knowledge Distraction  Distractions
Stress Fatigue  Lack of teamwork
 Fatigue
Resources Norms  Lack of resources
Pressure Teamwork
 Pressure
 Lack of assertiveness
 Stress
 Lack of awareness
Complacency Assertiveness  Norms

9. Human Factors
 Communication:
 Written
 Verbal
ond
 Tone of Voice esp
le r nt
 Body Language P eop fere
o dif of ion
!
t
es nicat
typ mu
com
Not always in a positive way!

10. Human Factors
Does this sound familiar?
 “What you heard and what I said are two
different things.”
 “And what you think I said is definitely not
what I meant.”

11. Human Factors
 To Improve communication:
 Learn to listen
 Ask questions
 Paraphrase
 Make eye contact
 Use positive body language
 Approved process/worksheets
 Discuss open items on paperwork
 NEVER ASSUME ANYTHING!!

12. Human Factors
 Complacency:
 A conscious or unconscious relaxation of
one’s usual standards in making decisions
and taking actions.

13. Human Factors
 Improving Complacency:
 Train yourself to expect to find a problem
 Tasks are most likely included in the work
instructions because of potential critical failure
or past historical failures
 NEVER pass along work without insuring its
correctness

14. Human Factors
 Lack of Knowledge
 Failure to provide adequate training
 Lack of confidence to ask questions
Why do we
always have
trouble with
this?

15. Human Factors
 Lack of Knowledge:
 Understand each step of what you are doing
or...
 If you don’t have the knowledge, talk to
someone who does
 Seek training on the type of work to be
performed
 Always use current procedures and work
instructions
 If it’s new- don’t be afraid to ask!

16. Human Factors
 Lack of Teamwork
 Failure to understand Roles
 No Teamwork Training You had the
 Not understanding the instructions
in your hand,
benefits of working in teams I thought you
knew what to
do!

17. Human Factors
 Improving Teamwork:
 Provide instructions for working in teams
 Discuss what, who and how a job is to be
done
 Be sure that everyone understands and
agrees

18. Human Factors
 Distraction:
 To draw one’s attention away
 To confuse by unclear instructions
 Excessive non-work related activities

19. Human Factors
 Improving Distraction:
 Know where you left off the uncompleted work
 When you return to the job, go back and
review a few steps in the process
 Use check sheets to avoid errors
 If in doubt…make a write-up of the
uncompleted tasks

20. Human Factors
 Fatigue:
 The result of intense physical or mental
activity at a single task
 Causes:
 Temperature variations
 Excess Noise
 Strong lighting
 Long work hours

21. Fatigue: Definition
“Fatigue denotes a state represented by
a loss in efficiency and a general
disinclination to work”
(Grandjean, 1988. Human Factors Journal, 1994)

22. Human Factors
 Improving Fatigue:
 Be aware of the symptoms of fatigue and
look for them in yourself and others
 Sleep and exercise regularly
 Ask others to check your work
 Avoid excessive overtime

23. Human Factors
 Resource Pressures:
 Making do with less
 Examples:
 Inexpensive / Inadequate Tools or
equipment
 Outdated computers or software
 Unreliable Copiers
 Inadequate Lighting
 Outdated Manuals or Process
Documentation

24. Human Factors
 Improving Resource Pressures:
 Make a list of required resources that will
reduce work pressures
 Track the progress

25. Human Factors
 Pressure:
 To complete the work on-
time (when expected)
 Most often, the pressure
comes from within ourselves

26. Human Factors
 Reducing Work Pressure:
 Ensure the pressure isn’t
self-induced
 Communicate your
concerns upward
 Ask for help

27. Human Factors
 Lack of Assertiveness
Listen, I need
that report now,
just send it!

28. Human Factors
 Improving Assertiveness:
 Record the incident in a personal log
 Refuse to compromise your standards!
 Clearly communicate the consequences
 Verbally and
 In writing

29. Human Factors
 Stress
 The non-specific response of the body to any
demand made upon it.

30. Human Factors
 Managing Stress
 Don’t make mountains out of mole hills
 Look rationally at a problem
 Break plans down into small steps
 Always be aware how stress personally affects
your work
 Take a break to clear your mind
 Ask for advice or help from someone you can
trust (ombudsman)

31. Human Factors
 Lack of awareness:
 Failure to realize consequences of actions

32. Human Factors
 Improving awareness:
 Think about all the functions required to
complete the total task
 Will your work conflict with some other
person or process?
 Ask others if they can see any problems with
the work – both upstream and downstream

33. Human Factors
 NORMS:
 “Never mind the “right way”, it’s quicker the
way I do it…!”

34. Human Factors
 Improving NORMS:
 Always follow the approved process
 If the process is not documented, then
document the process by seeking collective
input
 Be aware that “norms” do not make it right!

35. Human Factors Summary
 We have a choice..
Attitude is everything
 Use knowledge, awareness, resources to
break the chain of events
 Be aware of poor work habits!
Stay Aware!!
Our Future Business Depends on It!!