Human factors - Top ten - 8. Communications and interfaces

8. Communications and interfaces

Definition
Reliable and accurate communication of safety-critical or safety-related information, for example between control room and field operators, between operators within a shift and at shift hand-over.

Consequences
Risks from lack of, or inaccurate, information.
Piper Alpha.

Introductory resources

Human factors briefing note no. 10: Communications, Energy Institute (2011) (http://www.energyinst.org.uk/humanfactors/bn).
Managing Human Performance, Briefing Note 8, Safety Critical Communications, HSE (2004), (http://www.hse.gov.uk/humanfactors/briefingnotes.htm).
Inspectors’ human factors toolkit: Safety critical communications, HSE (2004), (http://www.hse.gov.uk/humanfactors/toolkit.htm).
Reducing error and influencing behaviour, HSE HS(G)48, HSE Books (1999), ISBN 0 7176 2452 8 (http://www.hsebooks.com).
Development of human factors methods and associated standards for major hazard industries, HSE RR 081, HSE Books (2003), ISBN 0 7176 2678 4 (http://www.hse.gov.uk/research/publish.htm).

Practical tools

Advanced resources

ACSNI study group on human factors, Third report: Organising for safety Health and Safety Commission, HSE Books (1993), ISBN 0 7176 0865 4 (http://www.hsebooks.com).
National inspection project on shift handover, HSE OTO 98 160 (1998), (http://www.hse.gov.uk/research/publish.htm).
Effective shift handover - a literature review, HSE OTO 96/003, HSE (1996) (http://www.hse.gov.uk/research/publish.htm).

To learn how to use these pages please see www.energyinst.org/humanfactors/topten

Users are of this document are encouraged to provide feedback on the applicability of the resources listed (e.g. successes in using them or limitations to their applicability) and to identify additional resources to supplement the listing.

Send your feedback to Stuart King, e: sking@energyinst.org

Human factors - Top ten - 8. Communications and interfaces

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