Integrating Human Factors into a system’s lifecycle

Todd Bentley• Manager – Risk and Safety Improvement Programs

• The issue

• What is HSI

• Benefits of HSI

• Example HSI Model

• Who is using HSI?

• Challenges to HSI

• RRL as a sample in V/Line

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• A system’s results are produced by the joint

behaviour of equipment and its users,

designers need to successfully account for

both.RSSB Understanding Human Factors –

a guide for the railway industry

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Designers, Users, and the System

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Actual

System

Designer’s

Model

User’s

Model

System

Specification

Procedures, Training

Manufacturing /

Construction

Variances

System

evolution and

change

Experience

Human Systems Integration(a.k.a. Human Factors Integration)

• Human Factors Integration (HFI) is a

systematic process for identifying, tracking,

and resolving human related issues ensuring a

balanced development of both technologies

and human aspects of capability.UK Ministry of Defence

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HSI Domains• Manpower – the human resources required to operate and

maintain the system (including provision of training)

• Personnel – the skills, aptitudes, and human characteristics

required

• Training – Specification of the competencies required and

analysis of the appropriate delivery methods to ensure that

personnel will be able to operate the systems under the full range

of operating conditions

• Human Factors Engineering – integration of human

characteristics into the system definition (e.g. requirements and

specifications)

• System Safety – process of applying human factors expertise to

minimise system risk

• Health hazards – identify and address inherent health risks in

using the system.

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Who is using HSI Approach?

• Formal HSI systems are found in:

-US Army (ManPrint) and Navy (SeaPrint)

-UK Ministry of Defence

-Australian Defence Forces

-NASA

-FAA

-Nuclear Regulations

-Railcorp

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Example: Military Combat Systems (DEF(AUST)5000–Vol 06 Pt 02 Sec 03)

Procurement Phase

Capability Needs Identification

Requirements Phase Acquisition Phase In-Service Disposal

Pre-1st Pass Pre 2

nd Pass Abbreviations

(for ease of reference)

Organisations Primary

Involvement

Strategy Group

Capability Development Executive (CDE) CDS - Capability Development Statement

DCP - Defence Capability Plan

FPS - Functional and Performance Specification

OCD - Operations Capability Document

PFPS - Preliminary Functional and Performance Specification

POCD - Preliminary Operations Capability Document

TCD – Test Concept Document

TNA - Training Needs Analysis

TRA - Technical Risk Assessment

Navy Systems Command (including NWSA)

DMO Emerging Project Team DMO Systems Program Office

DSTO DSTO DSTO

End-Users (e.g. SCFEG)

Industry / Suppliers

Key Project Document

Outputs

CDS DCP Concepts to meet

Capability

POCD PFPS Workforce Designs TRA

OCD FPS TCD TRA

Verification and Validation Plan

Related HSI Documents and

Processes

Identify Post 1

st

pass HSI Packages

Crew Estimation

Preliminary Schemes of Compliment

Early Hazard and Safety Analysis

Schemes of Compliment

Skills and TNA Hazard and Safety

Analysis

Training manuals and crew training

Key Human Factors

Processes and Outputs

Plan

Requirements Phase HF Process and HF work packages

Preliminary User Needs Analysis

Plan post 1st pass

HF Process and HF work packages

TRA (1st Pass)

Preliminary System Concepts

User Needs Analysis

Task Analysis Task and

Functional Decomposition

System Performance Criteria Development

Conceptual Design Validation of

Concepts against User Needs

TRA (2nd Pass)

Detailed Design and Construction

Revision of HMI concept document

Expert-Based Evaluation

Individual and Team Usability Evaluation

Verification of Design

Validation Testing Acceptance into

Service

In-use (in-context) Validation Testing

Operational Evaluation and Feedback (to refine and upgrade Requirements)

Manpower System SafetyPersonnel Training HFE Health

Benefits of a HSI Approach

• Improved Safety

• Decreased design costs

• Decreased ongoing costs

• Minimisation of project delays

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Published Benefits of HSI (Defence)

• HSI cost was 4% of $75m design project, and resulted

in cost avoidance of $3.29B (44:1 ROI) plus estimated

to save 91 fatalities and 116 disabling injuries. Booher

(1997)

• HSI process is typically 2-4.2% of an acquisition

budget, and average ROI is 40-60:1 (US Air Force, 2009)

• Canadian Defence: 8 projects used an HSI approach

at a cost of $3.3m. Immediate return (at conclusion of

design) was $3.5m. Long term return for one system

will be $131m (Greenley et al, 2006)

• Unmanned flying vehicle design – HSI elements were

not considered, leading to a series of costly mishaps (Tvaryanas, 2005)

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Other Published Benefits to HSI

• Beyond defence, HSI publications tend to say

“improved safety”

-Oil and gas (Cullen 2007, McSweeney

2008)

-Nuclear (Kirwan 2003)

-Intensive care (Becker 2008)

-Signal and Train control (Heape and Low,

2009) Victoria line upgrade for London Metro Rail

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Challenges to Implementation

• Acceptance that humans are part of the system, and

errors will occur… But we can mitigate this!

• Must convince people of the benefit of HSI

• Needs to integrate into existing Project and

Engineering design and lifecycle processes

• Appropriate personnel need to perform and inform

each activity

• Process must be tailorable and scalable.

• Expected inputs / outputs must be clearly defined

• Communication of outcomes and analyses must be

clear and in the right language

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Communication

• G. Rowe: Articulate Incompetent

• Consequences of Erudite Vernacular Utilized

Irrespective of Necessity: Problems with Using

Long Words Needlessly. (Oppenheimer, 2005)

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Example: Regional Rail Link

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HSI Requirements

• At both the project level and for each work

package in RRL, they must:

-Develop a HSI Plan (which integrates into

other plans)

-Identify the Human Factors professional

who will support the relevant HF activities

and their skill set

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HSI Approach:

Regional Rail Link

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Concluding Question

• You just bought a cricket bat and ball for a 5

year olds birthday.

• The total cost was $1.10. The bat cost $1

more than the ball.

• How much did the ball cost?

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Design is by far the cheapest and most effective way for a

system or organisation to benefit from paying attention to

human factors. If a system delivers exactly the results

required by an organisation, it represents a happy

convergence of user requirements, designers’ intentions

and practical implementationRSSB Understanding Human Factors –

a guide for the railway industry

Questions?todd.bentley@vline.com.au

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