Industry 4.0 is forcing thxike Ergonomics and Human Factors (E&HF) discipline to evolve. E&HF researchers and practitioners must now grapple with features of complexity, such as dynamism, systemic emergence, and scale-features the conventional Human Reliability Assessment (HRA) toolkit is not well adapted to. This paper shows how the capability of HRA can be significantly enhanced to directly confront the long-standing challenge of identifying and measuring emergence in work systems. The NEXUS framework is introduced as a proof of concept that integrates three established approaches, agent-based modeling, DynEAST, and HRA, and applies them to a live rail maintenance case study. By embedding human error probabilities (HEPs) into a stochastic ensemble of DynEAST network simulations, NEXUS captures the divergence between deterministic baseline performance and the distribution of outcomes arising from human performance variability, providing a formal, measurable index of emergence. Comparing ensembles parameterized with observed and intervention HEPs then yields a principled basis for evaluating how effectively targeted interventions attenuate emergent variance at the system level. The findings demonstrate that NEXUS can capture meaningful emergent aspects of work system performance and test the relative impact of proposed interventions, expanding the analytical boundaries of HRA toward methods compatible with the systems thinking paradigm that now predominates in E&HF.

The Houses of Parliament Restoration and Renewal Programme is the UK’s largest ever. The cultural value, funding model, risk profile, and fragility of the building exposes an uncomfortable truth. Construction business-as-usual has become an enterprise risk. Current levels of productivity, health, and wellbeing are not acceptable on a project of such high national importance. The Programme joins calls made in the Farmer Review, Project 13, the Construction Play Book , and now the Building Safety Bill for transformative change. It is in the unique position of being able to proactively drive this change. It is an exemplar project intended to deliver a learning legacy for the sector at large. It is also the first project to show an interest in a new approach called Sociotechnical Construction. The focus of this new approach is the joint optimization of socio/human and technical/organizational factors. The evidence points to these being instrumental in resolving the construction sector’s long-standing productivity and wellbeing paradox. This critical essay describes and defines Sociotechnical Construction, sets out the call to action, and presents the case for why it is needed now.

The Networked Hazard Analysis and Risk Management (Net-HARMS) method is a systems thinking-based risk assessment method that can be used to pro-actively identify task and emergent risks in safety critical systems. This chapter provides an overview of the Net-HARMS method followed by step-by-step guidance on how to apply it. The main advantages and disadvantages of applying the method are described along with any related methods, training and application times, reliability and validity evidence, and recommended reading. A case study analysis focussed on railway level crossing safety is used to demonstrate the method and its outputs.

Hierarchical Task Analysis (HTA) is a task analysis method that can be used to describe systems and tasks as a hierarchy of goals, sub-ordinate goals, operations, and plans. This chapter provides an overview of the HTA method followed by step-by-step guidance on how to apply it. The main advantages and disadvantages of applying the method are described along with any related methods, training and application times, reliability and validity evidence, and recommended reading. A case study analysis focussed on aircraft maintenance is used to demonstrate the method and its outputs.

Accident analysis methods are used to model the multifactorial cause of adverse incidents. Methods such as AcciMap, STAMP-CAST and recently AcciNet, are systemic approaches that support the identification of safety interventions across sociotechnical system levels. Despite their growing popularity, little is known about how reliable systems-based methods are when used to describe, model and classify contributory factors and relationships. Here, we conducted an intra-rater and inter-rater reliability assessment of AcciMap, STAMP-CAST and AcciNet using the Signal Detection Theory (SDT) paradigm. A total of 180 hours' worth of analyses across 360 comparisons were performed by 30 expert analysts. Findings revealed that all three methods produced a weak to moderate positive correlation coefficient, however the inter-rater reliability of STAMP-CAST was significantly higher compared to AcciMap and AcciNet. No statistically significant or practically meaningful differences were found between methods in the overall intra-rater reliability analyses. Implications and future research directions are discussed.

As the UK's Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors (CIEHF) celebrates its 75th anniversary, it is worth reflecting on our discipline's contribution, current state, and critical future endeavours. We present the perspectives of 18 EHF professionals who were asked to respond to five questions regarding the impact of EHF, contemporary challenges, and future directions. Co-authors were in agreement that EHF's impact has been only limited to date and that critical issues require resolution, such as increasing the number of suitably qualified practitioners, resolving the research-practice gap, and increasing awareness of EHF and its benefits. Frequently discussed future directions include advanced emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, the development of new EHF methods, and enhancing the quality and reach of education and training. The majority felt there will be a need for EHF in 75 years; however, many noted that our methods will need to adapt to meet new needs.Practitioner statement: This article provides the perspectives of 18 Ergonomics and Human Factors (EHF) professionals on the impact of EHF, contemporary challenges and critical future directions, and changes that are necessary to ensure EHF remains relevant in future. As such, it provides important guidance on future EHF research and practice.

Flood hazards are increasing as a result of climate change and growing urbanization. Research has shown that people who are socially vulnerable are more exposed to flood risk. Flood disadvantage that exists today is projected to continue in the future: it is stubborn. We present a bold new research agenda for exploring how different physical, social, institutional, and natural resources interact in urban areas to influence social opportunities over time. These interactions must be modeled to understand how the flood-affected area is degraded, in terms of the functions it provides, as a result of varying levels and frequency of flood exposure. Nesting flood exposure within a wider functional view of urban environments enables a place-based, systems approach to resilience. It reveals the underlying mechanisms-and potential remediations-for spatial inequalities. In doing so resilience strategies can be designed to transform the current trajectory of stubborn disadvantage to flooding. This article is categorized under: Engineering Water > Planning Water

Climate change will mean cities are exposed to more frequent short-term shocks such as floods. City-scale resilience is achieved by understanding how these shocks interact with longer-term stressors (e.g., social inequality). The Urban Systems Abstraction Hierarchy (USAH) has been developed for this purpose. In this paper, Glasgow (UK) is used as a case study application, to demonstrate how resilience theory can be operationalized through the application of the USAH. Results demonstrate how the USAH can quantify interdependencies between tangible physical entities in the city and intangible outcomes that monitor city stressors, and specifically how these outcomes change in response to a 1:200-year fluvial flood return period in Glasgow. Resilience concepts such as multifunctionality, redundancy and diversity are applied to interpret the results and their implications for longer-term resilience in Glasgow. The findings from the application of the USAH show that the outcome Social equality and equity is influential for longer-term resilience in Glasgow, whilst Reliable communications and mobility is an important outcome for flood resilience.

The humble “black box” has been so successful it has changed the types of incidents that now need forensic examination. Simple technical failures are rare. The overwhelming majority of aircraft black boxes will never be used for their original purpose. Quick Access Recorders and sophisticated safety management systems, however, make use of recorded data every single day and they reveal a new forensic frontier. The story begins with the origins and development of the black box. It concludes with practical guidance to help support forensic examinations of the thorniest strategic safety issues.

This study contributes towards a threshold for the onset of discomfort stemming from vibration that is transmitted to the human body by means of impulsive wave slamming in dynamic shipping environments. Wave slamming is a random, violent, non-linear event. Subjective and objective data were collected from two research voyages on a slamming-prone vessel. Full-scale vertical acceleration measurements were conducted near work and accommodation areas on the vessel. A daily diary survey was used to gather human responses among passengers. In addition, instantaneous slamming vibration comfort ratings were obtained by observers on the ship Bridge during a test sequence that purposefully induced slamming. The results indicate that two different approaches converged to the same VDV1hr comfort threshold (0.41 m/s1.75 and 0.43 m/s1.75), which corresponds to the limit where 50% of respondents indicated discomfort. A similar analysis using the r.m.s. metric converged to an identical threshold (0.03 m/s2), irrespective of the accumulated time of assessment.

The application of structured methods has been a feature of the human factors (HF) domain since its origin. Consequently, the HF practitioner now has a plethora of methods at his or her disposal. Despite their great number and increased use, there remains little practical advice available on the effective integration of these methods. As a result of a HF methods review, a methods matrix designed to guide practitioners in the selection, integration and application of HF methods was constructed. The following paper presents an extract of the methods matrix, and also presents the EAST methodology (Baber and Stanton 2004) as an example of an integrated HF approach.

Abstract The capability of current Ergonomics methods to capture dynamism is limited, stifling our understanding of work-as-done, distributed situational awareness and organisational drift. This paper provides a demonstration of concept of DynEAST; an extension of the EAST framework underpinned by principles from Dynamic Network Analysis, to capture elements of dynamism within work systems. The DynEAST concept is applied to a railway maintenance case study. Case study findings demonstrate how DynEAST outputs can be used to advance our understanding of the aforementioned phenomena and better equip practitioners for current and future Ergonomics challenges. Practitioner summary: This paper introduces the DynEAST method. DynEAST enables HF/E practitioners to model and analyse dynamic features of complex work systems. The development of DynEAST is timely due to the concurrent proliferation of increasingly complex sociotechnical systems and stagnation of HF/E methods development; particularly those able to model systemic dynamism.   Abbreviations: DynEAST: dynamic event analysis of systemic teamwork; EAST: dynamic event analysis of systemic teamwork; HF/E: human factors and ergonomics; HF: human factors; DNA: dynamic network analysis; HTA: hierarchal task analysis; CWA: cognitive work analysis; CAST: causal analysis based on system theory; STAMP: system theoretic accident model and processes; FRAM: functional resonance analysis method; SNA: social network analysis; DSA: distributed situational awareness; PPO: possession protection officer; PO: protection officer; RTS: railway track signals; LPA: local possession authority; SMEs: subject matter experts

EAST (Event Analysis for Systemic Teamwork) is an analysis methodology which combines seven human factors techniques in order to investigate command, control, communications, computers and intelligence (C4i) (Harris & White, 1987). The methodology has been developed by the DTC HFI. This paper focuses on two methods used in EAST, the critical decision method (CDM) and propositional networks. This paper describes the application of the methods to C4i activities for railway track maintenance.

The systems thinking tenets were developed based on a synthesis of contemporary accident causation theory, models and approaches and encapsulate 15 features of complex systems that interact to create both safety and adverse events. Whilst initial testing provided supportive evidence, the tenets have not yet been subject to formal validation. This article presents the findings from a three-round Delphi study undertaken to refine and validate the tenets and assess their suitability for inclusion in a unified model of accident causation. Participants with expertise in accident causation and systems thinking provided feedback on the tenets and associated definitions until an acceptable level of consensus was achieved. The results reduced the original 15 tenets to 14 and 10 were identified as important to include in unified model of accident causation. The refined systems thinking tenets are presented along with future research directions designed to facilitate their use in safety practice.Practitioner summary: This article presents a refined and validated set of systems thinking tenets which describe features of complex systems that interact to create adverse events. The tenets can be used by practitioners to proactively identify safety leading indicators and contributory factors during adverse event analysis.

Previous research has investigated the driver's ability to resume control after an automation failure. This study considers situation criticality, safety and difficulty between take-over and automated stop scenarios. Findings are reported of an experimental study investigating different strategies to take back control of an automated road vehicle. The study had a mixed factorial design with automation being the between-participants factor with two levels, SAE Level 1 vs. SAE Level 3. Urgency (High vs Low) and Take-Over Mode (Manual, Automated Stop) were the within participants factors. Dependent variables were: i) Minimum Time-to-Collision (TTC), ii) Self-reported Situation Criticality and Perceived Safety and iii) Percentage of Gazes to [the] Road Centre. Overall, 36 participants took part, with half assigned to either level of the Automation factor. The automated driving experience was designed to fail during participation. This required the driver to take-over manual control or have the system bring the vehicle to an automated stop. Results revealed that during manual take-over of control, measures of time-to-collision, perceived criticality and safety were worse and fixations to the forward view increased when compared to the Automated stop condition. Manual take-over of control in a high-urgency situation revealed higher criticality (shorter time-to-collision and lower perceived safety) and more difficulty (increasing fixations to the road centre) than in a low-urgency situation. The study points to an automated stopping manoeuvre being the preferable strategy to manual take-over of control.

There is growing interest in the use of systems-based risk assessment methods in Human Factors and Ergonomics (HFE). The purpose of this study was to test the intra-rater reliability and criterion-referenced concurrent validity of three systems-based risk assessment approaches: (i) the Systems-Theoretic Process Analysis (STPA) method; (ii) the Event Analysis of Systemic Teamwork Broken Links (EAST-BL) method; and, (iii) the Network Hazard Analysis and Risk Management System (Net-HARMS) method. Reliability and validity measures were obtained using the Signal Detection Theory (SDT) paradigm. Whilst STPA identified the highest number of risks, the findings indicate a weak to moderate level of reliability and validity for STPA, EAST-BL and Net-HARMS. There were no statistically significant differences between the methods across analyses. The results suggest that there is merit to the continued use of systems-based risk assessment methods following a series of methodological extensions that aim to enhance the reliability and validity of future applications. Practitioner summary The three risk assessment methods produced weak to moderate levels of stability and accuracy regarding their capability to predict risks. There is a pressing need to further test the reliability and validity of safety methods in Human Factors and Ergonomics.