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 DECISIONSMONITORLOCATE AND PROCESSINFORMATION

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 ofAccidents

Time

Technology

Procedures

HumanFactors

Estimated number of “human errors”

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

100

90

1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995

% H

um

an

acti

on

att

rib

ute

d a

s

cau

se

The diagram shows the

attribution of “human

errors” as causes, which

may be different from

the contribution of “human errors” to incidents / accidents.

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Behaviour

Technical

Corrective actionsIncidents

Incidents are caused by our behaviourWe 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

FG PC EU

1 Keil/JOMC Solvay/Lyondell

2 DNV Chinoin

3 TNO/Milan ATOFINA

4 TUB ExxonMobilSnamprogetti

NAS Slovakia 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

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000

TRIR Employees + Contractors

TRIR Employees

Start

SEP

A cautionary taleHandle

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

ProceduresMy 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 AidTask Criticality High Medium Low

Task Familiarity

Freq Infreq Rare Freq Infreq Rare Freq Infreq Rare

Task

C

omplexity

LowNWI NWI JA NWI NWI JA NWI NWI NWI

Medium NWI JA SBS NWI NWI JA NWI NWI NWI

High JA JA SBS NWI JA SBS NWI NWI JA

No Written Instruction required: NWINo Written Instruction required: NWI

Job Aid required e.g checklist/memory aid: JAJob Aid required e.g checklist/memory aid: JA

Step By Step instruction required: SBSStep 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 Operators facing as few as 10 alarms a minute in an emergency will quickly abandon minute in an emergency will quickly abandon the alarm list to reduce stress. They will find the alarm list to reduce stress. They will find

a way to solve the problem without using a way to solve the problem without using the alarms.the alarms.

How to face this problem?

Implementation of an alarm philosophyImplementation of an alarm philosophy

Notify operators of events required more Notify operators of events required more focused attentionfocused 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 $3 500 000 A typical plant can save approximately $3 500 000 per year by providing good control during plant per year by providing good control during plant

incidents and transition events such as start-ups, incidents and transition events such as start-ups, feed changes, etc.”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 We cannot change the Human Condition but we can change the conditions in which humans can change the conditions in which humans work.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,Equipment,

– Operations,Operations,

– Procedures,Procedures,

– Work environments.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 Design solution to address the error causescauses

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

—www.prism-network.org

Human Factor Priorities

05

1015202530354045

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

11th International SymposiumLoss Prevention and Safety Promotion in the Process IndustriesLoss Prevention 200431 May - 3 June 2004 * Prague * Czech Republic