Integrating Training into Human Factors Implementation

Abstract

The Airline Safety Summit, held in January, 1995 in Washington, D.C. had two important outcomes for human factors. First, it set a goal of zero accidents for future airline operations. Second, it emphasized the role of the human and specifically human factors, in accident causation. As a response to these outcomes, the interest in human factors has increased in all aviation domains: flight operations, the air traffic system, and maintenance/inspection. A preferred response to the new demands for implementing human factors has been one of training, in either awareness of human factors or in the modification of interpersonal relations through a process analogous to Crew Resource Management (CRM). Such programs have used group problem-solving techniques to help locate and reduce sources of error and systems problems, using models of the human as interacting with other humans in the system. Within such a framework, is there a role for the more traditional models of human functioning used by human factors engineers? This paper considers the role of a training program as part of a methodology for integrating human factors into airline maintenance practice. An analysis of the ASRS data base revealed that mis-communication between participants was a source of errors. An analysis of similar problems at one airline facility showed that communication was indeed problematic. Training in human factors techniques was used to prepare a workforce team to redesign part of the communications system. The subsequent redesign efforts help evaluate the role of the training programs in human factors implementation.