Human Factors Analysis and Classification System: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 00:15, 2 July 2009

Revision as of 00:19, 2 July 2009

Line 1:

The '''Human Factors Analysis and Classification System''' (HFACS) identifies the human causes of an accident and provides a tool to assist in the investigation process and target training and prevention efforts.<ref name="Approach_2004">[http://www.safetycenter.navy.mil/MEDIA/approach/issues/julaug04/HumanFactors.htm "The Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS),"] ''Approach'', July - August 2004. Accessed July 12, 2007.</ref> It was developed by Dr Scott Shappell and Dr Doug Wiegmann, Civil Aviation Medical Institute and University of Illinois at Urbana-Campaign, USA, respectively, in response to a trend that showed some form of human error was a primary causal factor in 80% of all flight accidents in the Navy and Marine Corps.<ref name="Approach_2004"/>

HFACS is based in the "Swiss Cheese" model of human error <ref>PearsonReason, J.[1990]Human Error.Cambridge University Press</ref> which looks at four levels of human failure, including unsafe acts, preconditions for unsafe acts, unsafe supervision, and organizational influences.<ref name="Approach_2004"/>. It is a comprehensive human error framework, that folded Reason's ideas into the applied setting, defining 19 causal categories within four levels of human failure.<ref>HFACS Analisys of Military and Civilian Aviation Accidents: A North American Comparison.ISASI,2004</ref>