Human Factors Handbook for Process Plant Operations
Improving Process Safety and System Performance
1. Edition April 2022
480 Pages, Hardcover
Handbook/Reference Book
Further versions
Human Factors Handbook for Process Plant Operations
Provides clear and simple instructions for integrating Human Factors principles and practices in the design of processes and work tasks
Human Factors, the science of interaction between humans and other elements of a system, draws from disciplines such as psychology, ergonomics, anthropometrics, and physiology to understand how and why people behave and perform as they do--and how best to support them in performing tasks. The goals of the Human Factors approach are to improve human reliability, minimize the risk from human error, and optimize the working environment, human wellbeing, and overall system performance.
Human Factors Handbook for Process Plant Operations guides supervisors, managers, and engineers on incorporating Human Factors principles and practices into plant maintenance and operations. With thorough and accessible coverage of all Human Factors topics of relevance to process industries, this easy-to-use handbook uses real-world anecdotes and case studies to demonstrate effective training and learning, task planning, communications, emergency response, risk and error management, and more. Throughout the text, the authors offer valuable insights into why people make mistakes while providing advice on how to help workers perform their process operational tasks successfully.
* Explains all essential Human Factors concepts and knowledge with clear descriptions and illustrative examples
* Offers actionable advice and models of good practice that can be applied to design, process operations, start-ups and shut-downs, and maintenance
* Addresses job aids, equipment design, competence, task support, non-technical skills, working with contractors, and managing change
* Discusses how lack of Human Factors considerations during the engineering design phase can adversely affect safety and performance
* Describes how to use indicators to both recognize and learn from human error and performance issues
Written by highly experienced operating and maintenance personnel, Human Factors Handbook for Process Plant Operations is an indispensable resource for everyone involved with defining, planning, training, and managing process operations, maintenance, and emergency response in the food, pharmaceutical, chemical, petroleum, and refining industries.
The missions of both the CCPS and EI include developing and disseminating knowledge, skills and good practices to protect people, the environment, and property by bringing the best knowledge and practices to industry, academia, governments and the public around the world through collective wisdom, tools, training and expertise. The CCPS, an industrial technology alliance of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), has been at the forefront of documenting and sharing important process safety risk assessment methodologies for more than 35 years and has published over 100 books in its process safety guidelines and process safety concept book series. The EI's Technical Work Program addresses the depth and breadth of the energy sector from fuels and fuels distribution to health and safety, sustainability and the environment. The EI program provides cost-effective, value-adding knowledge on key current and future international issues affecting those in the energy sector.
Acronyms xxv
Acknowledgements xxvii
Foreword xxix
Part 1: Concepts, principles, and foundational knowledge 1
1 Introduction 3
1.1 What is "Human Factors"? 3
1.2 Purpose of this handbook 4
1.3 Why Human Factors? 7
1.4 The structure of this handbook 9
2 Human performance and error 11
2.1 Learning objectives of this Chapter 11
2.2 An example of successful human performance 11
2.3 An example of unsuccessful human performance 13
2.4 Key learning points from this Chapter 17
3 Options for supporting human performance 19
3.1 Learning objective of this Chapter 19
3.2 Types of human performance 19
3.3 Types of human performance, errors and mistakes 21
3.4 Selecting options for supporting human performance 30
3.5 Key learning points from this Chapter 34
4 Supporting human capabilities 35
4.1 Learning objectives of this Chapter 35
4.2 Attention 35
4.3 Vigilance 36
4.4 Memory 37
4.5 Cognitive capacity 38
4.6 Cognitive heuristics/biases 39
4.7 Key learning points from this Chapter 41
Part 2: Procedures and job aids 43
5 Human performance and job aids 45
5.1 Learning objectives of this Chapter 45
5.2 An example of a major accident 45
5.3 The role of job aids in supporting human performance 46
5.4 Approach to developing effective job aids 48
5.5 Key learning points from this Chapter 52
6 Selecting a type of job aid 53
6.1 Learning objectives of this Chapter 53
6.2 Stage 1: Determining the need for a job aid 53
6.3 Stage 2: Selecting the type of job aid 62
6.4 Electronic job aids 67
6.5 Key learning points from this Chapter 68
7 Developing content of a job aid 69
7.1 Learning objectives of this Chapter 69
7.2 Outputs from task analysis 69
7.3 Outputs from Hazard Identification and Risk Analysis 72
7.4 User involvement 72
7.5 Validation of job aids 74
7.6 Keeping job aids up to date 75
7.7 Key learning points from this Chapter 76
8 Format and design of job aids 77
8.1 Learning objectives of this Chapter 77
8.2 Structure and layout 77
8.3 Navigation 82
8.4 Instructional Language 84
8.5 Pictorial information 87
8.6 Icons 88
8.7 Key learning points from this Chapter 90
Part 3: Equipment 91
9 Human Factors in equipment design 93
9.1 Learning objectives of this Chapter 93
9.2 Definitions 93
9.3 Major accident example 94
9.4 Error traps 96
9.5 How might poor equipment Human Factors cause error? 98
9.6 Example of poor equipment Human Factors 101
9.7 Supporting human performance by good equipment design 103
9.8 Mitigating poor design 111
9.9 Key learning points from this Chapter 113
Part 4: Operational competence 115
10 Human performance and operational competency 117
10.1 Learning objectives of this Chapter 117
10.2 What is competency? 117
10.3 Competency Management 118
10.4 An example of effective Process Safety Competency Management 121
10.5 An example of gaps in operational competency 122
10.6 Competency influencing factors 124
10.7 Key learning points from this Chapter 125
11 Determining operational competency requirements 127
11.1 Learning objectives of this Chapter 127
11.2 Identify and define safety critical competency: overview 127
11.3 Step 1: Identify safety critical tasks 128
11.4 Step 2: Identify required competency 130
11.5 Step 3: Define performance standards 132
11.6 Key learning points from this Chapter 136
12 Identifying learning requirements 137
12.1 Learning objectives of this Chapter 137
12.2 Competency gap analysis 137
12.3 Training Needs Analysis 138
12.4 Key learning points from this Chapter 142
13 Operational competency development 143
13.1 Learning objectives of this Chapter 143
13.2 Good practice in learning 143
13.3 Key learning points from this Chapter 149
14 Operational competency assessment 151
14.1 Learning objectives of this Chapter 151
14.2 Reasons for competency assessment 151
14.3 How to conduct assessment of competency 151
14.4 Reassessment 157
14.5 Managing competency gaps 158
14.6 Competency and learning records 160
14.7 Key learning points from this Chapter 160
Part 5: Task support 161
15 Fatigue and staffing levels 163
15.1 Learning objectives of this Chapter 163
15.2 A fatigue-related accident 163
15.3 Managing fatigue risk 168
15.4 Key learning points from this Chapter 178
16 Task planning and error assessment 179
16.1 Learning objectives of this Chapter 179
16.2 Incident example 179
16.3 Human Factors and task planning 180
16.4 Error assessment within task planning 182
16.5 Key learning points from this Chapter 187
17 Error management in task planning, preparation and control 189
17.1 Learning objectives of this Chapter 189
17.2 Overview 189
17.3 Preventing optimism bias in task planning: scheduling 190
17.4 Assigning safety critical tasks 194
17.5 Distractions and interruptions 195
17.6 Long and low demand tasks 199
17.7 The Human Factors of control of work packages 202
17.8 Team briefings 204
17.9 Human Factors of system isolation 205
17.10 Human Factors of managing interlocks and automatic trips 210
17.11 Key learning points from this Chapter 214
18 Capturing, challenging and correcting operational error 215
18.1 Learning objectives of this Chapter 215
18.2 Failing to spot, challenge, and recover from errors 215
18.3 Why do we fail to capture, challenge, and correct errors? 217
18.4 Coaching people to recognize risk of making errors 218
18.5 Error Management Training 220
18.6 Enabling challenge of task performance 224
18.7 Key learning points from this Chapter 231
19 Communicating information and instructions 233
19.1 Learning objectives of this Chapter 233
19.2 Incident example 233
19.3 Causes of poor communication 234
19.4 Human Factors of communications 235
19.5 Avoiding communication overload 237
19.6 Human Factors in shift handover 241
19.7 Key learning points from this Chapter 245
Part 6: Non-technical skills 247
20 Situation awareness and agile thinking 249
20.1 Learning objectives of this Chapter 249
20.2 What are situation awareness and agile thinking? 249
20.3 Accidents from poor situation awareness and rigid thinking 252
20.4 Causes of poor situation awareness and rigid thinking 253
20.5 Key learning points from this Chapter 256
21 Fostering situation awareness and agile thinking 257
21.1 Learning objectives of this Chapter 257
21.2 Training in situation awareness skills 257
21.3 Practical situation awareness tools and tactics 262
21.4 Recognizing loss of situation awareness 268
21.5 Fostering agile decision-making 270
21.6 Key learning points from this Chapter 275
22 Human Factors in emergencies 277
22.1 Learning objectives of this Chapter 277
22.2 An example accident 277
22.3 Supporting human performance in emergencies 281
22.4 Non-technical skills for emergency response 284
22.5 Key learning points from this Chapter 297
Part 7: Working with contractors and managing change 299
23 Working with contractors 301
23.1 Learning objectives of this Chapter 301
23.2 An accident involving contractors 301
23.3 Human Factors tactics for supporting contractors 304
23.4 Key learning points from this Chapter 307
24 Human Factors of operational level change 309
24.1 Learning objectives of this Chapter 309
24.2 What do we mean by operational level change? 309
24.3 Operational level change and major accidents 310
24.4 Recognizing operational level changes that impact human performance 311
24.5 Managing Human Factors of changes 314
24.6 Key learning points from this Chapter 317
Part 8: Recognizing and learning from performance 319
25 Indicators of human performance 321
25.1 Learning objectives of this Chapter 321
25.2 What are performance indicators? 321
25.3 Identifying human performance indicators 323
25.4 Examples of human performance indicators 324
25.5 Sharing and acting on human performance indicators 332
25.6 Key learning points from this Chapter 333
26 Learning from error and human performance 335
26.1 Learning objectives of this Chapter 335
26.2 The importance of understanding error 336
26.3 Examples of poor learning 338
26.4 Learning in high performing teams 340
26.5 Human Factors of investigating process 341
26.6 Selecting preventive Human Factors actions 356
26.7 Learning 359
26.8 Key learning points from this Chapter 362
Appendices
A Human error concepts 373
B Major accident case studies 383
C Human Factors Competency Matrix 397
D Competency performance standards 415
E Learning methods and performance 420
F Situation awareness and behavioral markers 425
G Human Factors change checklist 431
Index 437
