Human Factors Training: From Lessons Learned to Safer Air Transport
Since the 1970s, the aviation industry has experienced a significant decline in aircraft accidents per million departures. Every year, ICAO publishes a Safety Report which provides statistics and analysis of accidents. These reports align well with the purpose of improving the safety of global air transport, giving updates on safety indicators, accident occurrences, and related risk factors.
One important factor which has contributed to this positive development is Human Factors training.
“Humans Make Mistakes”
Before we dive into the importance of Human Factors training in aviation, let’s pay a visit to another industry where human error and safety are equally important themes.
In 2019, on the second day of January, a high-speed train with 134 passengers onboard was crossing the Great Belt Bridge, when it was hit by a disconnected container from a freight train. The collision resulted in eight fatalities and double-digit injuries – and marked the deadliest rail accident in Denmark in over 30 years.
Five days after the accident, the former Safety Manager of DSB (the train was operated by Danish State Railways) offered his insights into the accident from a safety perspective:
“One of the most important things to focus on when working with safety is that humans make mistakes, and you must consider this when designing safety systems.”
(TV2.dk, January 7, 2019)
Essentially, Human Factors must be a priority in any industry where system meets human. We need to design systems and tailor training programmes which considers the human element, and where safety is top-of-mind.
Definition of Human Factors
Across industries and cultures, the definitions of Human Factors vary.
In simple terms, Human Factors refer to the human capabilities, limitations, behaviours, and characteristics we must consider when designing the systems they use, the environment in which they work, and the job they perform.
This definition can help us develop human factors programmes which emphasise the following key elements:
- Raise awareness of safety and human factors
- Improve human performance
- Reduce human error
- Address the many situations where humans and machines intersect
- Promote and encourage a positive safety attitude and actively discourage unsafe practices and behaviours
Read more: The Human Factor: Why Humans Make Mistakes
The Evolution of Human Factors Training
Today, Human Factors training is an integral regulatory requirement and reflects a strong safety mindset. But this has not always been the case.
This perception has evolved from many decades of lessons learned. Until the 1970s, the industry was mostly satisfied if we were able to distinguish between “human error” or “technical faults” as root cause of accidents.
The Tenerife Airport Disaster of 1977 called for the need to focus on the triggering factors such as the level and quality of interaction and communication between the flight crew. As a result, the concept of Cockpit Resource Management (CRM) was born.
In recent decades, CRM has evolved to encompass the entire crew (Crew Resource Management) and even the whole organisation (Company Resource Management).
On the maintenance side of aviation, Human Factors training has been a mandatory EASA requirement for more than 20 years – which only highlights the investment in safety that training has to offer.
Read more: The Evolution of Crew Resource Management Training
One Thing Is Accidents…
One thing is accident prevention. Everyone agrees that major accidents are catastrophic to everyone involved. But what about all the daily errors, near misses, and potential hazards that we might not hear about?
They are equally important factors to consider from a safety and human factors perspective. Why?
Because they cause problems, cost money, and increase operational pressure. Here are a few examples:
- Flight cancellations and return to gate incidents may cost tens of thousands, depending on aircraft type and operational context
- Several million Euros are wasted on error each year
Lessons Learned: A Safety Beacon
Studies from ICAO, the FAA, and Boeing have demonstrated that Human Factors training can significantly reduce ground damage incidents and job-related injuries, improve safety performance, and lower operational costs.
In other words, Human Factors awareness and training programmes have not made aviation safe on its own. By shifting focus from human error as a root cause to analysing and learning from the conditions that influence human performance, the aviation industry has been able to design better systems, improve non-technical skills, and strengthen safety in a complex environment.
The “lessons learned” has helped us evolve in an industry where safety will always depend on how well be understand and support the people within the system.
Read more: The Day It Almost Went Wrong: Near-Misses from a Human Factors Perspective
