IOGP 621: Demystifying Human Factors

Demystifying Human Factors: Building Confidence in Human Factors Investigation

The oil and gas industry is committed to learning from operating experiences and incidents, and using that information to prevent harm to people and the environment. An important part of learning from incidents is to understand the role that people play. Investigation presents a unique opportunity to understand the systems and conditions that lead ordinary people into complex situations, or provoke simple errors.The field of Human Factors (HF) can seem mysterious and complicated.

Even those with training and tools to address HF in investigations can be reluctant to put them to use, believing that it is something that only experts can do. This document aims to ‘demystify’ human factors and help those involved in the investigation process gain confidence by successfully incorporating human factors into investigations.