Human Factors Engineering Design Research Articles

Requirement analysis for human factor engineering on SMR-NuScale design

Human Factors Engineering (HFE) is an important element of control room facility design and Man Machine Interface (MMI) design whose principles must be applied systematically to ensure the safe operation of power reactors. In the design of the NuScale Small Modular Reactor (SMR), the United States-Nuclear Regulatory Commission (US-NRC) as an international regulatory body has published Design-Specific Review Standards (DSRS) for Nuclear SMR design which are specific for NuScale. There is no specific discussion related to HFE in the document. However, in order to develop the NuScale design in In Indonesia, we can learn from Oregon State University, the first Nuscale developer, regarding the requirements when those are compared to the large nuclear reactors. Therefore, reviewing the NuScale SMR design needs to be carried out starting with the conducting a requirement traceability analysis by tracing the guidelines from the regulatory body and knowing the recommended guideline in developing the HFE design, especially for the specific SMR/NuScale. It is hoped that by understanding the process of verifying these requirements documents, Indonesia will be able to apply the HFE for the NuScale reactor by meeting the criteria required by BAPETEN and be able to prepare the validation method so that the design can obtain a license.

Usability barriers and facilitators of a human factors engineering-based clinical decision support technology for diagnosing pulmonary embolism

BackgroundHealth IT, such as clinical decision support (CDS), has the potential to improve patient safety. However, poor usability of health IT continues to be a major concern. Human factors engineering (HFE) approaches are recommended to improve the usability of health IT. Limited evidence exists on the actual impact of HFE methods and principles on the usability of health IT. ObjectiveTo identify and describe the usability barriers and facilitators of an HFE-based CDS prior to implementation in the emergency department (ED). MethodsWe conducted debrief interviews with 32 emergency medicine physicians as a part of a scenario-based simulation study evaluating the usability of the HFE-based CDS. We performed a deductive content analysis of the interviews using the usability criteria of Scapin and Bastien as a framework. ResultsWe identified 271 occurrences of usability barriers (94) and facilitators (177) of the HFE-based CDS. For instance, we found a facilitator relating to the usability criteria prompting as the PE Dx helps the physician order diagnostic tests following the risk assessment. We found the most facilitators relating to the criteria, minimal actions, e.g. as the PE Dx automatically populates vitals signs (e.g., heart rate) from the chart into the CDS. The majority of the usability barriers related to the usability criteria, compatibility (i.e., workflow integration), which was not explicitly considered in the HFE design of the CDS. For example, the CDS did not support resident and attending physician teamwork in the PE diagnostic process. ConclusionThe systematic use of HFE principles in the design of CDS improves the usability of these technologies. In order to further reduce usability barriers, workflow integration should be explicitly considered in the design of health IT.

Digital Twin-Driven Human-Centered Design Frameworks for Meeting Sustainability Objectives

Abstract This paper presents a manifesto for the future design of human-made systems and engage this reflection by promoting a computational human factors engineering (HFE) approach. In this paper, we concentrate on the fact that human well-being and sustainability objectives are inseparable. Thus, this paper’s primary focus is to demonstrate a simulation-based computational design methodology, digital human-in-the-loop (D-HIL), which utilizes the digital human modeling (DHM) platform to inject HFE design principles early in design. The D-HIL methodology enables human, product, and systems data to be coupled with computational toolkits; thus, bringing opportunities for facilitating ergonomics decision-making to be part of the digital twin (DT)-driven design. We presented two frameworks originating from our recent work in D-HIL research: (1) prototyping toolbox and (2) human error and functional failure reasoning (HEFFR) as means for realizing sustainability goals through DT-based design. While our preliminary studies show that both tools show promise in terms of realizing the sustainability goals, they are limited to only goals that relate to cost. In our future work, we plan to explore models and computational tools from non-traditional engineering domains to expand our frameworks’ scope to realizing sustainability goals that go beyond cost estimations.

Human factors engineering in oil and gas - a review of industry guidance

Oil and gas exploration and production activities are carried out in hazardous environments in many parts of the world. Recent events in the Gulf of Mexico highlight those risks and underline the importance of considering human factors during facility design. Ergonomic factors such as machinery design, facility and accommodation layout and the organization of work activities have been systematically considered over the past twenty years on a limited number of offshore facility design projects to a) minimize the occupational risks to personnel, b) support operations and maintenance tasks and c) improve personnel wellbeing. During this period, several regulators and industry bodies such as the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM), the UK's Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Oil and Gas Producers (OGP), and Norway's Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA) have developed specific HFE design standards and guidance documents for the application of Human Factors Engineering (HFE) to the design and operation of Oil and Gas projects. However, despite the existence of these guidance and recommended design practise documents, and documented proof of their value in enhancing crew safety and efficiency, HFE is still not well understood across the industry and application across projects is inconsistent. This paper summarizes the key Oil and Gas industry bodies' HFE guidance documents, identifies recurring themes and current trends in the use of these standards, provides examples of where and how these HFE standards have been used on past major offshore facility design projects, and suggests criteria for selecting the appropriate HFE strategy and tasks for future major oil and gas projects. It also provides a short history of the application of HFE to the offshore industry, beginning with the use of ASTM F 1166 to a major operator's Deepwater Gulf of Mexico facility in 1990 and the application of HFE to diverse world regions. This latter point highlights the need to consider user populations when selecting HFE design criteria, an aspect strongly emphasized in current industry guidance.

When Is a Defibrillator Not a Defibrillator? When It’s Like a Clock Radio … . The Challenge of Usability and Patient Safety in the Real World

Fairbanks et al describe how usability testing can be used to uncover medical device design flaws that compromise the safe and efficient delivery of care. Their experience is consistent with other published reports, which tested readily available technologies and found dramatic human-automation interactions problems that could be linked to poor device design. These findings are likely the tip of a proverbial iceberg of medical technology and devices, that, by design, have limited usability. And yet health care delivery organizations continue to purchase devices and information technologies that lack usability. This brings up many questions. Why do hospitals and health care providers continue to purchase devices and technology with poor usability? Why don’t manufacturers address these shortcomings? And how, if at all, are regulatory agencies involved in this problem? After all, the US Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Defense, Department of Transportation, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Department of Energy, and the National Aviation and Space Administration use usability and human-factors engineering design. The full answers to these questions are the subject of textbooks, PhD theses, and international meetings. We examine 3 of the major issues that we believe in part address those questions: lack of understanding usability science, lack of good usability testing practices, and lack of market demand for usability.

Using “No Problem Found” in Infusion Pump Programming as a Springboard for Learning About Human Factors Engineering

A hospital took a second look at a device error with a syringe pump in which a dose of fentanyl was delivered in half the anticipated time. When the nursing staff could not reproduce the error, the pump was sent to biomedical engineering where "no problem was found." The biomedical staff subsequently performed another analysis, which led to discovery of the possible cause of the problem. A human factors engineering (HFE) task force, in considering the fentanyl delivery issue, identified a need to educate nursing and engineering on such incidents and to consider the consequences of override features. The HFE task force then reviewed a tool kit for briefing clinical units on education of staff on clinical safety issues. Efforts to maximize device customization or simplification can have negative HFE consequences. The decision to allow for function overrides or nontraditional equipment use must be weighed against the potential compromises in patient safety. The problems that arise from the interface between humans and devices are not limited to intravenous pumps or even medical devices. Awareness of the potential for HFE design flaws can be critical in reducing harm in health care.

Who Left the Defibrillator On?

Two related scenarios involving defibrillator devices reveal how inadvertent hazardous design can go unnoticed until engineers or patient safety personnel use human factors engineering (HFE) analysis. The first adverse event, in which the device was inadvertently turned off while being used to externally pace the patient's heart, resulted in an increased length of stay. The second scenario describes a similar close call and the useless acts of sanctioning the nurse and firing the engineer technician. Feedback to the end user about a device's status is an important design issue. It does not take much expertise to detect when there are problems with "dialogue" from the device to the person (that is, feedback). Many HFE issues have been cited in emergency care areas, and many medical devices--not just defibrillators--do not have readable and understandable feedback to the end user or the kind of automation that would make the wrong action harder to accomplish. All the interactions of multifunction devices with end users in a hectic, noisy, and dynamic environment need to be usability tested and validated. Nurses and engineering personnel can be trained to more easily see HFE design issues--and not dismiss them as individual failings or "someone else's job." Medical device companies are starting to follow the guidelines and regulations that should help prevent adverse events. The defibrillator's design problems had successfully masqueraded as "expected" glitches with hospital electrical utilities, personnel shortcomings, and personality problems. Adverse events related to seemingly simple devices can be prevented with HFE analysis.

Human Factors Engineering Technology Integration into the Naval Ship Acquisition Process: Designing for Operability

Traditionally, Naval ship design programs have placed Human Factors Engineering (HFE) in a subordinate role to ship manning, a process primarily concerned with determining the ship's complement. As a result, HFE inputs to ship design documentation are often scattered, uncoordinated and lacking in fundamental standardization. The Naval Sea Systems Command has recently initiated an effort to correct these problems through a program designed to integrate HFE technologies into the ship planning and acquisition process. One of the primary objectives of this project is the development of an HFE Design Guide to assist Navy personnel in applying HFE technologies early in the design phase of the ship acquisition process. The paper describes the current status and philosophy of this program, and evaluates an attempt to apply a preliminary model of the Guide to Naval recovery systems presently in the development stages: the Mark-14 Arresting Gear System and the Beartrap Recovery Assist, Secure and Traverse System.

Human Factors Engineering For Maritime Systems

The major challenges to maritime systems in the 1990's include: escalating operating costs; adaptation of advanced technology in an operational environment; and the high rate of human error as a cause of ship and port system accidents. Each of these challenges can be addressed by the discipline of Human Factors Engineering (HFE). The major component of maritime system operating costs is costs associated with personnel in the system. Operating costs can be significantly lowered through a system design approach that results in reductions in manning levels (and costs associated with system manpower), training time, system downtime, and accident rates. HFE is the formal discipline concerned with reducing manning with no adverse impact on human performance and safety. Application of HFE also results in increased efficiency in training, improved system availability, and reduced accident rates through reduced human error rates. HFE contributes to improved human performance in highly automated systems and enhances the interactions between the human and advanced technology Finally HFE results in reduced human error through application of HFE design standards, simulation and modeling of human tasks and workloads, and design to reduce both the incidence and the impact of human errors, thereby making systems error tolerant.