Human and organizational factors in security screening and inspection systems: conceptual framework and key research needs

Abstract

This paper presents a macroergonomic conceptual framework for human and organizational factors in security screening and inspection (SSI) systems of cargo and passengers across three transportation modes: air, rail, and sea. The framework categorizes human and organizational factors into five categories of the SSI work system: organization, operational environment, individual or operator, tasks and workload, and SSI tools and technologies. The framework is an expanded description of human and organizational factors in each transportation mode with key areas for human factors research in SSI systems. Research recommendations and implications for the intelligent design and intelligent support of SSI systems include organizational and job design of SSI systems, roles of human error and violations in SSI systems, and design of effective alarm systems.