Human Factors in Safety Flashcards

What is 'Just Culture' in health and safety?

Answer: An approach that distinguishes between genuine human error, at-risk behaviour, and reckless behaviour — with proportionate responses to each

A Just Culture distinguishes between: human errors (consoled — support the person), at-risk behaviours (coached — help them understand the risk), and reckless behaviours (sanctioned — deliberate, conscious disregard). This proportionate approach encourages reporting while maintaining accountability.

How does shift work affect health and safety?

Answer: Shift work can cause sleep disruption, fatigue, digestive problems, increased accident rates, cardiovascular issues, and social/family difficulties

Shift work, particularly night and rotating shifts, can cause: circadian rhythm disruption, chronic fatigue, sleep disorders, gastrointestinal problems, increased cardiovascular risk, higher accident rates (particularly on night shifts and near shift changes), mental health effects, and social/family difficulties.

What is 'error proofing' (poka-yoke) in workplace design?

Answer: Designing equipment, processes and systems so that errors are either impossible to make or are immediately detected and corrected

Error proofing (poka-yoke) involves designing systems, equipment and processes so that errors either cannot be made (prevention) or are immediately obvious when they occur (detection). Examples include: plugs that only fit one way, interlocks that prevent dangerous sequences, and colour-coding of connections.

What is the role of 'leadership' in human factors and safety culture?

Answer: Leaders shape safety culture through their visible commitment, decisions, resource allocation, behaviours, and the standards they set and enforce

Leaders at all levels shape safety culture through: visible personal commitment to safety, making safety a priority in decisions, allocating adequate resources, modelling safe behaviours, setting clear expectations, rewarding safe performance, addressing unsafe behaviour, and communicating openly about safety issues.

What is 'cognitive overload' and how does it affect safety?

Answer: When the demands on a person's mental processing capacity exceed their ability to cope, leading to errors, poor decisions and missed information

Cognitive overload occurs when too many demands compete for a person's limited mental processing capacity. It leads to: missed information, poor decision-making, increased errors, inability to prioritise, tunnel vision, and failure to detect changes. It can be caused by multitasking, interruptions, time pressure, and complex procedures.

What is 'groupthink' and why is it a safety concern?

Answer: A phenomenon where the desire for group consensus overrides realistic assessment of risks, leading to poor decisions

Groupthink occurs when a group's desire for consensus and harmony suppresses dissenting views, critical thinking, and realistic risk assessment. In safety contexts, it can lead to: ignoring warning signs, suppressing concerns, taking excessive risks, and making poor decisions because no one challenges the prevailing view.