HUMAN FACTORS Flashcards
a label given to an action that has negative
consequences or fails to achieve the desired outcome
Human error
the leading cause of both commercial airline
crashes and general aircraft accidents
Human error
More than _____ of all general aviation accidents are attributed to human error
88%
technical discipline aimed at optimizing human performance
Human Factors
Non-physical aspects of systems
Software
Example of Software (SHELL)
- Document design & layout
- Symbology and computer programs
*Procedures
*Training manuals - content and design
- Symbology and computer programs
- Rules and regulations
- company and authority
Examples of Hardware (SHELL)
*Hangars and Office Spaces
*Tools
*Ergonomics
-Tool design & operability
-Instrument interpretation
-Work space
-GSE design
Examples of Environment (SHELL)
- Extremes of temperature affects thought processes
- Excess noise and vibration affects concentration
- Shift work causes fatigue making error prone
Variations in Performance & limitations
Liveware - Individuals
Examples of Liveware - Individuals
- Physical size & shape
- Physical needs (sustenance, sleep etc.)
- Input / Output Characteristics
- Information Processing
- Environmental tolerances (temp, pressure, humidity, enclosed space, stress & boredom)
Examples of Liveware – In Social Situations (SHELL)
- Leadership, co-operation, teamwork, personality interactions
- Staff/management relation
- Corporate culture
- Domestic Pressure
Maintenance system failures, due to errors and/or violations, can affect safety of flight in two different ways:
- Primary Cause
- Contributing Factor
Accident is due to the maintenance/inspection failure.
Primary Cause of an accident
Accident is not in any way due to flight
crew action.
Primary Cause of an accident
Accident chain begins with a
maintenance/inspection failure that is incorrectly handled by the flight
crew, ultimately ending up as an accident
Contributing Factor to an accident
Example of Accident Where Maintenance Is the Primary Cause
Kahului, Hawaii, U.S.A.1988 Upper fuselage separation 737-200
Example of Accident Where Maintenance Is a
Contributing Factor
Lima, Peru1996 Tape left on static ports 757-200
Murphy’s Law
“Anything that can go wrong will go wrong”
HUMAN PERFORMANCE AND LIMITATIONS
VISION
HEARING
INFORMATION PROCESSING
PHOBIAS
FITNESS AND HEALTH
Perception of brightness, color, space, form and movement
Vision / eyes
WHAT COULD CAUSE IMPAIRMENT TO SIGHT?
- Substances
- Environmental Factors
- Medical Factors
Common Medical Eye Conditions
myopia
hyperopia
astigmatism
presbyopia
Near-sightedness
Myopia
Farsightedness
Hyperopia
distorted vision at all distances
astigmatism
loss of the ability to focus up close, inability to read letters of the phone book, need to hold newspaper farther away to see clearly, occurs between age 40–50 years
presbyopia
is the decreased ability to see color or differences in color
Colorblindness
No red receptors
Protanopia
No green receptors
Deuteranupia
No blue receptors
Tritanopia
provide hearing, balance
Hearing/ ears
HOW WE PROCESS INFORMATION TO GIVE THE RIGHT FEEDBACK
INFORMATION PROCESSING
REFERS TO OVERALL CONDITION OF
OUR BODY AND MIND
FITNESS / HEALTH
compulsive feeling of terror of particular situations or things.
Phobias
Usual phobias that can affect someone working in the aviation industry:
- Claustrophobia
- Acrophobia
These factors are the direct work environment, organization or company culture, regulations inside and outside the company and the economic and political environment of society at large
SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
A process within a person that causes the person to move toward a goal
MOTIVATION
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
- Self Realisation
- Respect
- Affiliation
- Safety
- Physiological Needs
Motivation is determined both by:
- intrinsic or extrinsic reward
- belief
2 Types of Motivation
- Intrinsic
- Extrinsic
We move toward a goal because of rewards that are internal to ourselves (e.g., feelings of satisfaction or accomplishment).
Intrinsic
We move toward a goal because of rewards that are external to ourselves (e.g., praise, a good grade on a test, or money).
Extrinsic
Performance is determined by both..?
Skill and Motivation
REFERS TO INFLUENCE FROM MEMBERS OF
ONE’S PEER GROUP / PRESSURE FROM COLLEAGUES
PEER PRESSURE
a team consists of people working towards a common goal
Teamwork–
How to maintain a team:
Communication
Cooperation
Coordination
Mutual Support
lays down company policy and makes business
decisions
MANAGEMENT
FACTORS AFFECTING HUMAN PERFORMANCE
- Fitness/Health
- Stress
- Alcohol, Medication, Drug abuse
- Sleep, Fatigue and Shift Work
- Workload
a physiological reaction to physical and psychological factors (stressors) in our environment
STRESS
Physical Stressors
- Illness
- Acute, Chronic
- Fatigue
- Shift work, high work load
- Environment
- Temperature, Vibration, Noise, Fumes
Psychological Stressors
*Unpredictability
*Uncertainty
*Uncontrollability
*Bereavement/tragedy
*Daily annoyances
- Time pressure, Peer pressure, Management pressure
*Chronic stressors
- Home environment, Work place pressures
The task itself – the physical and mental demands which are made
WORKLOAD
The greatest risk of underload
attention deteriorates, declining motivation
A feeling of lack of energy, weariness or tiredness
FATIGUE
a normal response to physical exertion, emotional stress, and
lack of sleep
FATIGUE
Vigilantly attentive and watchful; mentally
responsive and perceptive.
Alertness
Effects of Fatigue
Overall performance gets worse
Loss of motivation
Slowed reactions
Forgetful
Poor cognitive functioning
Loss of creativity
Withdrawal from social situations
Mood changes
Increase alcohol use
Long term health can degrade
Quality of life degrades
Associated with temporary loss of sleep or temporary exhaustion from brief periods
Acute Fatigue
More serious than acute fatigue.
Chronic Fatigue
How to avoid fatigue
Get approx. 8 hours of sleep / night
Standard sleep routine
Exercise
No caffeine and alcohol before sleep
Balanced diet
Sufficient water intake
Enough Sleep before the shift
has a calming effect on the central nervous system, but it dulls the senses and reduce human performance
Alcohol
can have side effects which can cause human error
Medication
strictly prohibited and may cause termination
Use of illegal drugs
can distract,, Disturb communication, can cause stress
NOISE
can be categorized as unpleasant and hazardous to health
FUMES
best for recognizing colors
Natural light
has a rating of good illumination
Incandescent light
has a rating of average illumination
Fluorescent Light
has a poor rating illumination
Mercury vapor lamps
critical component of safe and efficient
maintenance work
Communication
one of the major causes of events in aviation maintenance.
Communication issues
3 Cs of communication
Clear
Correct
Complete
Used by Professor James Reason to explain safety
Swiss Cheese Model
represents the gaps in the safety system
The holes
represents the preventive or
correction actions that prevents the danger arrow from penetrating the pile of cheese
The solid portion
source or a situation with the potential for harm in terms of human injury or ill-health, damage to property, damage to the environment, or a combination of these
HAZARD
The ability to maintain awareness of what is happening on the ramp or the hangar, as well as what is happening on the task
SITUATION AWARENESS
