PRISM: EU Network on Human Factors in the Process Industries

PRISM (Process Industries Safety Management) Network of over 60 organisations from 14 countries Funded by the European Union ‘Framework Programme for Research and Development’ Supported by CEFIC Co-ordinated by EPSC

Environment -Context -Normal -Emergency -Noise, Heat, Light CARRY OUT TASK MAKE DECISIONS MONITOR LOCATE AND PROCESS INFORMATION Evaluation -User requirements -Rapid prototyping -Standards/legislation User differences -Age -Eyesight -Body size and shape Special needs Work Practices -Task and job design -Context of use -Organisational structures -Policies and procedures Software design -Allocation of function - Functional specification -User interface design -User help Hardware design -Workstation design -Input/output devices -Workplace layout -Health & Safety -Repetitive Strain Injury -Work Related Upper Limb Disorders Training -Skills required -Experience -Motivation -Training needs What Is Human Factors? 4

why human factors? Number of Accidents Time Technology Procedures Human Factors

Estimated number of “human errors” % Human action attributed as cause The diagram shows the attribution of “human errors” as causes, which may be different from the contribution of “human errors” to incidents / accidents.

Incidents are caused by our behaviour We react with technical solutions !

Action Plan for PRISM 1.Facilitate exchange of knowledge and information 2.Generate knowledge to meet industry needs 3.Establish options available to facilitate information sharing between companies 4.Facilitate knowledge transfer from experts

PRISM Focus Groups Culture and Organisation Optimising Human Performance High Demand Situations Engineering Design

FGPCEU 1Keil/JOMCSolvay/Lyondell 2DNVChinoin 3TNO/MilanATOFINA 4TUBExxonMobil Snamprogetti NASSlovakia Technical University

1.Cultural and Organisational Factors 2.Optimising human performance 3.Human factors in high demand situations 4.Human factors as a part of the engineering design process

FG1 Topics Organisational & cultural factors Team Working Behaviour based safety

Behavioural safety: key principles Programme ownership Definition of safe and unsafe behaviours Establishment of a baseline Training Observation Feedback Reinforcement Goal-setting Review

Conditions Dissatisified with status quo Visible leadership and commitment Process to owned by employees Long term not a quick fix Integration not substitution or add on

Pitfalls Blame culture Just another initiative “Do as I say not as I do”! Leave it all to the Safety Dept Resources

ExxonMobil Safety Excellence Process Results example TRIR Employees + Contractors TRIR Employees Start SEP

A cautionary tale Handle Bolts

1.Cultural and Organisational Factors 2.Optimising human performance 3.Human factors in high demand situations 4.Human factors as a part of the engineering design process

FG2 Topics Procedures Training Task Design Man machine and human computer interface

Procedures My procedure will ensure the task is performed correctly I know how to do this task, I don’t need a procedure Do we need a procedure for each task?

Decision Aid Task Criticality HighMediumLow Task Familiarity FreqInfreqRareFreqInfreqRareFreqInfreqRare TaskComplexity Low NWI JANWI JANWI MediumNWIJASBSNWI JANWI HighJA SBSNWIJASBSNWI JA No Written Instruction required: NWI Job Aid required e.g checklist/memory aid: JA Step By Step instruction required: SBS

1.Cultural and Organisational Factors 2.Optimising human performance 3.Human factors in high demand situations 4.Human factors as a part of the engineering design process

PRISM FG3 High Demand Situations cognitive overload emergency response control room layout abnormal situation management use of virtual reality

Why alarm handling? A wide issue about assuring the human response to an alarm Operators routinely ignore alarm in the plant control room Operators facing as few as 10 alarms a minute in an emergency will quickly abandon the alarm list to reduce stress. They will find a way to solve the problem without using the alarms.

How to face this problem? Implementation of an alarm philosophy Notify operators of events required more focused attention Help to prioritise response Guide operator towards most appropriate response

Benefits Easier to interpret alarms for operators Better control of processes Help avoid accidents “A typical plant can save approximately $ per year by providing good control during plant incidents and transition events such as start-ups, feed changes, etc.”

1.Cultural and Organisational Factors 2.Optimising human performance 3.Human factors in high demand situations 4.Human factors as a part of the engineering design process

We cannot change the Human Condition but we can change the conditions in which humans work. “We cannot change the Human Condition but we can change the conditions in which humans work.” James Reason

How to incorporate HF in the design process? To take human factors into account as part of the process engineering design process requires the design of: –Equipment, –Operations, –Procedures, –Work environments. such that they are compatible with the capabilities, limitations and needs of the workers

Designing to reduce Human Error Precursors Maintainability and Operability Process Operations and Layout Design solution to address the error causes Automation Work Environment Process Control and Monitoring

PRISM Deliverables Survey of needs of SME’s Application guides Training tools Seminars in different European Countries Internet seminars Networking and sharing of experience

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Action Plan for Industry 1.Develop an understanding of the basic subject matter of human factors (HF) 2.Develop an understanding of current HF issues in pertinent industry sectors 3.Develop an understanding of current arrangements used to identify & control SHE hazards in your workplace 4.From the basis of the existing systems already in place identify how HF can be incorporated

11 th International Symposium Loss Prevention and Safety Promotion in the Process Industries Loss Prevention May - 3 June 2004 * Prague * Czech Republic