Effective management of human factors begins with a philosophical change in the way we approach the human element of our operations.
A systems design view approaches the operation linearly and plans reliability into components in order to extrapolate system and human reliability. Conversely in the field, operators and teams seek, with good intention, to balance the rivalry between preservation [safety] and production [productivity].
In contrast to the individual-centered view, our approach to creating Operational Resilience is formed around the smallest unit of Human Factors Analysis we call the Operational Juncture™. The Operational Juncture describes the concurrence of people given a task to operate tools and equipment guided by conflicting objectives within an operational setting including physical, technological, and regulatory pressures provided with information where choices are made that lead to outcomes, both desirable and undesirable.
It is within this multidimensional concurrence we can influence the reliability of human performance. Understanding this concurrence directs us away from blaming individuals and towards determining why the system responded the way it did in order to modify the structure. Starting at this juncture, we can preemptively design operational systems and reactively probe causes of failure. We view a holistic assignment of accountability fixing away from merely the actions of individuals towards all of the components that make up the Operational Juncture.
This is not a wholesale change in the way safety systems function, but an enhanced viewpoint that captures deeper, more meaningful and more effective ways to generate profitable and safe operations.
A practical approach to analyzing human factors in designing and evaluating performance creates both reliability and resilience. Reliability is achieved by exposing system weaknesses and vulnerabilities that can be corrected to enhance reliability in future and adjacent operations. Resilience emerges when we expose and correct deep organizational philosophy and behaviors.
Resilience is born in the organizational culture where individuals feel supported and regarded. Teams operate with deep ownership of organizational values, recognize and respect the tension between productivity and protection, and seek to make right choices. Communication occurs with trust and transparency. Leadership respects and gives careful attention to insight and observation from all levels of the organization. In this culture, people will self-assess, teams will synergize and cooperate to develop new and creative solutions when unanticipated circumstances arise. Individuals will hold each other accountable.
Safety within Operational Resilience is something an organization does, not something that is created or attained. Our programs deliver a top-down institutionalization of culture that produces a bottom-up emergence of resilience.
Vetergy delivers insight, training, and program development for human factors analysis. Our system integrates easily with existing investigation programs and technologies. Or if it’s appropriate for your organization, we can help you establish a baseline program that incorporates human factors right from the start.
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