What We Offer

HRRS Ltd has established itself as a leading player in the Human Factors Engineering Consulting market.

HUMAN FACTORS INTEGRATION

Human Factors Integration has been developed to define, document HF strategies, goals, initiatives and action plan. Risk cannot be controlled without effective management of Human Factors. 

This view has been supported by the HSE as one of the top issues in health and safety management.  Technology reliability has improved yet with ageing equipment, maintenance backlogs and manning shortfalls, reliance on the Human Factor has never been so critical.  The working norm appears to condone long working hours, high workloads and fatigue as normal yet under these conditions, the human decision maker suffers badly, the memory falters and time pressure becomes a real barrier to safe performance.

HUMAN RELIABILITY ANALYSIS

Human Reliability Analysis (HRA) reflects an understanding that people and systems are not error-proof, and that improved reliability requires an understanding of error problems, leading to improved mitigation strategies. Essentially, HRA aims to quantify the likelihood of human error for a given task. HRA information can be used in a number of proactive approaches, including:

• During front end engineering and detailed design to identify design options that are likely to reduce opportunities for error in safety critical tasks
• During system modifications and other relevant changes to determine whether the changes are likely to impact the chances of human errors.
• To assist in the identification of commonly experienced performance shaping factors, enabling the organisation to address these at an operational levelDuring incident investigations to identify contributing latent conditions that shaped the outcome.
• At a workplace level, identifying and modifying those performance shaping factors which contribute to error

SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

The embodiment of human factors principles will create aligned systems, engineering design and human violations.

The experience of our Associates across many years of work in areas such as Change Management, Human Factors, Health & Safety, Flight Safety, Crew Resource Management, Behavioural Safety and Culture Change, has allowed us to understand the issues that confront industry from a variety of perspectives.

It enables our Associate consultants to engage in a client-centred approach that intrinsically couples innovation and knowledge within a framework of a quality system.

control room analysis

Control room assessments are a set of analyses performed to evaluate the design of a control room. The assessment integrates regulations, standards and principles of a human centred control room design. The purpose is to review the design process to ensure that human factors principles and methods have been appropriately considered and integrated into the control room design in both new projects, modifications and upgrades to installations. Detailed design specifications are reviewed for: 

• Control Suite Arrangement
• Control Room Layout
• Workstations layout and controls
• Environmental design
• Operational and managerial requirements
• Training
• Procedures

HUMAN MACHINE INTERFACE ANALYSIS

The aim of this analysis is to ensure that usability requirements for the design and validation of human-computer interfaces are adequately specified. Interface analysis can be used to assess usability, user satisfaction, error, layout, labelling and the controls and displays used.

Accidents are often attributed to human error.  However, when these are investigated in detail, it can be shown that they were influenced by poor ergonomic design of the interface or by problems of interaction between the machine and the user rather than by negligent or careless use. It is therefore essential that the design of interaction and of the interfaces be based on principles governing the dialogue and human physical and mental characteristics. 

alarm optimisation ANALYSIS

The aim is to determine criteria for an alarm system such that the operator can clearly identify a need to act and select an effective course of action especially in emergency conditions.   The alarm analysis shall define the functions required to:

• Alert the operator about the existence of an alarm condition.
• Clearly inform the operator about the priority and nature of the alarm.
• Repeat the operator response to the alarm.
• Restrict the number of alarms to those which are essential.
• Provide assistance in analysing events.
• Provide a detailed chronological event log

Behavioural Based Safety

Historically, many incidents and accidents in all major hazard industries were seen as the ‘fault’ of someone at the sharp end – often the last person who touched the equipment.  Major accidents in the oil, gas and chemical industries are by definition high consequence and include major fires, explosions and toxic releases. They are also relatively infrequent. 

Behaviour-based safety is the application of behavioral psychology to promote safe behaviours in the workplace through employee involvement. It involves initially identifying practices (behaviours) critical to reducing the risk of injury. These practices and behaviours are then compiled into a checklist that employees use to collect data on safe and unsafe practices within the organization. Finally, employee teams analyse data gained from observations to develop action plans that promote continuous improvement in safety.

COMMUNICATIONs

The ability to communicate effectively with superiors, colleagues, and staff is essential, no matter what industry you work in. Workers in the digital age must know how to effectively convey and receive messages in person as well as via phone, email, and social media. Good communications will have a significant effect on developing a sound safety culture. 

Crew Resource Management

CRM can be defined as a management system which makes optimum use of all available resources – equipment, procedures and people – to promote safety and enhance the efficiency of all operations.

CRM is concerned not so much with the technical knowledge and skills required to operate a system, ship or aircraft but rather with the cognitive and interpersonal skills needed to manage these operations within a system. In this context, cognitive skills are defined as the mental processes used for gaining and maintaining situational awareness, for solving problems and for making decisions. Interpersonal skills are regarded as communications and a range of behavioural activities associated with teamwork.

Optimising Human Performance

The experience of our associates in understanding what makes people tick, understanding their biases and performance issues, enables them to look at systems alignment and interfaces to identify performance improvements for maximum accomplishment of tasks in accordance with agreed standards of accuracy, completeness, and efficiency.

The importance of performance management to measure and improve employee capabilities cannot be understated. Technology that supports modern performance management not only facilitates a transparent process but provides valuable data you need to measure your success. 

Management of Change

Effective management of change is crucial if an organization is to adapt and thrive. All organizations encounter changes that they are unable to control. Developing a structured methodology to deal with change allows businesses to effectively cope with environmental changes. Changes that are likely to impact an organization may include competitive threats, changes to the economy, workplace regulations and governmental policies. Management of change involves the application of a structured system to provide a competitive advantage, as the marketplace is forced to adapt to the changing environment.

Hazard Identification

This is the process of examining each work area and work task for the purpose of identifying all the hazards which are “inherent in the job”. Work areas include but are not limited to machine workshops, laboratories, office areas, agricultural and horticultural environments, stores and transport, maintenance and grounds, reprographics, and lecture theatres and teaching spaces. Tasks can include (but may not be limited to) using screen-based equipment, audio and visual equipment, industrial equipment, hazardous substances and/or teaching/dealing with people, driving a vehicle, dealing with emergency situations, construction. This process is about finding what could cause harm in work task or area. 

Risk Assessment

Risk: The likelihood, or possibility, that harm (injury, illness, death, damage etc) may occur from exposure to a hazard. 

Risk Assessment: Is defined as the process of assessing the risks associated with each of the hazards identified so the nature of the risk can be understood. This includes the nature of the harm that may result from the hazard, the severity of that harm and the likelihood of this occurring. 

Risk Control:Taking actions to eliminate health and safety risks so far as is reasonably practicable. Where risks cannot be eliminated, then implementation of control measures is required, to minimise risks so far as is reasonably practicable. A hierarchy of controls has been developed and is described below to assist in selection of the most appropriate risk control measure/s. 

Monitoring and Review: This involves ongoing monitoring of the hazards identified, risks assessed and risk control processes and reviewing them to make sure they are working effectively.