HOFs in practice

Introduction 

The human factors discipline provides a theoretical knowledge base which can be applied to optimise systems for safety, human performance and wellbeing. These theory, principles, and methods can be applied in at different stages of the lifecycle, from conceptual design of new systems through to their operation and decommissioning. The practical application of HOF also applies to different parts of an organisation from frontline operational staff through to senior management. 

Relevance to Rail 

There are many areas of application for HOF in rail; examples are the application of HOF principles to the design of cabs or traffic management systems, and the design of alarms. Applying HOF in cases such as these helps to identify where safety and performance issues could arise during operation, and design those issues out as much as possible. Maintenance activities are critical to the operation of the railway and HOF methods and approaches can help ensure that maintenance tasks and activities are designed to account for human limitations and capabilities. A very specific area of application for rail is the understanding and mitigation of SPAD risk, particularly through identification of some of the factors that influence SPADs. 

Approaches and models 

The key principles of applying ergonomics and human factors can be found in ISO-26800 and are: 

1. An ergonomics approach to design shall be human-centred
2. The target population shall be identified and described
3. Design shall take full account of the nature of the task and its implications for the human
4. The physical, organisational, social, and legal environments in which a system, product, service or facility is intended to be used shall be identified and described, and their range defined.