Human Factors in Health and Safety

HF in Health & SafetySummary: A professional development programme in Human Factors for the process industries
Provider: Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) in partnership with the Keil Centre Limited
Location: UK & Europe, Australia
Duration: 8 days in total (4 courses of 2 days duration)
Knowledge/experience needed: None
Email: janette@keilcentre.co.uk
Website: http://www.icheme.org/humanfactors

Who should attend?
The programme is specifically designed for those who want a comprehensive overview of the subject, access to practical research-based tools and approaches, and discussion in small groups with acknowledged industry experts. This may include:
– internal human factors advisors/focal points
– operations managers
– HSE advisors and specialists
– industry regulators

To date, over 150 leading international companies have benefited from the programme, which is recognised as one of the best of its kind.  Delegates have mostly come from the process industries, but there have also been delegates from other industries, including the marine industry.

Why should you attend?
There is an increasing emphasis on the importance of managing human factors to achieve improved safety and business performance in the chemical process industries. Major accidents, including those at Texas City and Buncefield, have highlighted the importance of addressing this aspect of performance. However, many of the safety and operational professionals charged with managing human factors have no formal qualifications or training in the human and behavioural sciences. Human Factors in Health and Safety is modular training designed to meet the needs identified in the process industries. Designed by the Keil Centre and IChemE, this programme intends to develop an understanding of the core human factors issues and outline how to manage them to achieve improved safety performance.

What will you learn?
Delegates will be introduced to the key human factors topics which are relevant to high hazard process industries and will develop an understanding of the scope and approach for managing these issues in their own organisations. The course provides the background theory, but importantly the practice of Human Factors relevant to these industries. Tools and techniques are presented which are suitable for use by non-human factors specialists. The feedback from those completing the course has consistently been that it has provided them with a step change in thinking and the confidence to ask the right questions.

Course duration
The programme consists of four intensive two-day residential events, supported by course reading, which together forms a broad human factors educational programme. The course is run over a calendar year, but delegates can take the modules in an order that suits them over more than one calendar year. Courses can book for all four modules together or as separate modules.

Course content
Topics are organised to cover the UK Health and Safety Executive’s top human factors issues in major hazard sites, but these topics are just as applicable and relevant to non-UK regulatory frameworks. The content has been developed in consultation with IChemE’s safety and loss prevention specialists and it is presented as four modules:

Module One – Managing Human Factors
Provides an introduction to key human factors concepts within risk management, managing organisational change, safety culture, and safety critical communications.

Module Two – Managing Human Failure
Explores the management of human failures, including proactive management of human errors and non-compliances, analysing human failures contributing to incidents, and managing performance under pressure.

Module Three – Strengthening the Human Element
Provides key pointers for strengthening organisational safety through effective management of training and competence, staffing and workload, fatigue, and effective supervision and safety leadership.

Module Four – Human Factors in Design
Specifically focuses on human factors in design, including the integration of human factors within engineering programmes, plant and control room design, development of the Human Machine Interface, and operating procedures.

Each two-day module covers four key human factors topics (16 in total). The group is split into sub-groups of syndicates of six and each module has the same basic structure:
– a mix of theory, case study, discussion and practical exercises in small syndicates
– identification of key success factors in implementation

Delegates are encouraged to keep a learning log throughout the programme.

Certification and Course Award
Delegates completing all 4 modules will receive a certificate from IChemE and CIEHF. Delegates who complete all four modules are eligible to enter for a course prize for best application of human factors knowledge.

What’s included?
Delegates receive a training pack and a memory stick for each module with the core materials and blank versions of the analysis sheets and practical exercises to enable them to use them in their own organisation. All delegates are invited to the course dinner at the end of day 1 of the course and are encouraged to network with each other so they gain from each others’ experiences.

Course Providers
The training is delivered by recognised human factors professionals with significant process industry experience from the Keil Centre and other highly regarded human factors consultancies. Our workshop leaders in the UK include:
– Janette Edmonds, Course Director, Chartered Ergonomist and Human Factors Specialist and Director of the Keil Centre
– Richard Scaife, Chartered Ergonomist and Human Factors Specialist, Chartered Occupational Psychologist and Director of the Keil Centre
– Ken Gray, Chartered Occupational Psychologist and Director of the Keil Centre
– Johnny Mitchell, Chartered Occupational Psychologist, Keil Centre
– Chiara Amati, Chartered Occupational Psychologist, Keil Centre
– Ian Hamilton, Chartered Ergonomist and Human Factors Specialist and Partner at ERM
– Dr Paul Jackson, Fatigue Specialist, Clockwork Research Ltd
– Charles Shoesmith, Chartered Psychologist, Psychologica
– John Wilkinson, Chartered Ergonomist and Human Factors Specialist, Human Instrumental Ltd

Many of the workshop leaders were authors of the Elsevier book: ‘Human Factors in the Chemical and Process Industries: Making it Work in Practice’, available from Elsevier, IChemE and Amazon.

Course Organisers
The Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) is the global professional membership organisation for people with relevant experience or an interest in chemical engineering. We are the only organisation to award Chartered Chemical Engineer status and the Professional Process Safety Engineer registration. Founded in 1922 as a professional institution for chemical and process engineers, IChemE has grown to its current status of over 40,000 members across 120 countries. We are committed to supporting the professional development of chemical and process engineers worldwide and are a market leader in process safety training. For more details visit www.icheme.org.

The Keil Centre, established in 1983, is a private consultancy practice of chartered psychologists and chartered ergonomics and human factors specialists based in Edinburgh, UK and Perth, Australia. The Keil Centre has long-standing links with the process industries through our international commercial consulting activities and involvement in IChemE safety conferences, seminars and symposia, and the European Process Safety Centre. For more details visit www.keilcentre.co.uk.