Overview

It is appropriate at this point to deal with the topic of human factors, and one important aspect of that, human error. Human factors considerations are relevant to all aspects of the design and operation of process plants. The topic is, however, a vast one and the account given here is necessarily limited. The approach taken is to consider in particular the process operator and then to touch on certain other aspects such as communications, maintenance and construction.

Overviews of human factors are given in Biotechnology (Fogel, 1963), Human Factors Engineering (McCormick, 1957b), Human Engineering Guide to Equipment Design (C.T. Morgan et al., 1963), Human Engineering Guide for Equipment Designers (Woodson and Conover, 1964), Human Factors Evaluation in System Development (Meister and Rabideau, 1965), Ergonomics (Murrell, 1965a), Human Performance in Industry (Murrell, 1965b), Human Factors (Meister, 1971), Handbook of Human Factors (Salvendy, 1987), Applied Ergonomics Handbook (Burke, 1992 ACGIH/ 76) and Human Factors in Design and Engineering (Sanders, 1993). Accounts of human factors with specific reference to safety are given in Ergonomics Guides (AIHA, 1970 /1), Human Aspects of Safety (Singleton, 1976b) and Human Factors in Process Operations (Mill, 1992). HSE guidance is given in HS(G) 48 Human Factors in Industrial Safety (HSE, 1989).

Selected references on human factors are given in Table 14.1 and references on the process operator are given in Table 14.2.