Q: What resources are available to deliver training in human factors engineering on major capital projects?

A: There are very many - and some of the most comprehensive ones may be found online!

Human Factors Applications’ consultants have over 100 years’ experience in delivering human factors, with much of this on major capital projects. This expertise is available to projects that are now at the planning stage, providing the opportunity to ensure that human factors can be successfully embedded into that project with early gains delivered.

We offer three levels of training for human factors engineering on projects. This ranges from “white belt” awareness-level sessions that highlight the key tasks, risks and opportunities o applying human factors on projects. Next is “yellow-belt” training; this is for engineers, HSE team members and plant and equipment inspectors, and provides a more in-depth dive into the human factors principles for application to each engineering discipline’s scope of work, and sets the stage for a construction phase that delivers the design as it was intended.

Finally, we provide “black-belt” level training for practitioners. This is an in-depth exercise with 24 learning hours that covers the key topics and skills required to manage human factors on projects. As well as key events that have highlighted the need for human factors, the general principles are provided. The following topics are also covered:

• Risk-based project activity planning

• Safety-Critical Task Identification

• Cultural calibration of human factors engineering to match workforce characteristics

• Different Regulators’ (and companies’) approaches to Human Factors Engineering

• Project roles and responsibilities for HF

• Technical Tools and Methods, covering analysis of physical activities to reduce injuries,

• Access means and their application to tanks, vessels and skids

• Valve and instrument criticality analysis

• Task Analysis

• Environment considerations – heat / cold, light and noise

• Control panel design.

• Drawing and 3D Model review checklists and practices

• Communicating HFE for integration into vendor-supplied equipment

• Control Room Design principles

• Alarm management principles

• Managing specialist studies

• Developing human factors team

• Tracking HFE actions.

We can also provide on-demand support throughout the project’s lifecycle and support to specific specialist studies such as control room design and workshops to complete alarm rationalization.