Human Factors for Safety - COM00208M

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Module summary

This course focuses on the provision of Human Factors support to safety related system design / engineering projects. It provides a foundational introduction to key Human Factors topic areas and the opportunity to apply key Human Factors techniques related to human error identification / human reliability analysis, with an eye on the strengths and limitations of each.

Module will run

Occurrence	Teaching period
A	Semester 2 2025-26

Module aims

This course introduces you to human factors concepts and techniques that can be used to support the design and evaluation of complex interactive systems, with a particular emphasis on safety critical systems. These techniques include work analysis (including task analysis and scenario analysis), human error assessment, design and evaluation of interactive systems and human reliability assessment.

Module learning outcomes

Identify and describe the implications of human factors on the safety of a system. Demonstrate an understanding of a range of human factors techniques and understand their limitations Describe and evaluate an organisation’s processes with respect to the human contribution to system safety.

Indicative assessment

Task	% of module mark
Essay/coursework	100

Special assessment rules

None

Indicative reassessment

Task	% of module mark
Essay/coursework	100

Module feedback

Feedback provided via assessment.

Indicative reading

Hollnagel, E	Human reliability analysis: context and control	Academic Press	1993
Hollnagel, E	Cognitive Reliability and Error Analysis Method	Elsevier Science Ltd	1998
Kirwan B. and Ainsworth L.K.	A guide to task analysis	Taylor and Francis	1992
Kirwan B	A guide to practical human reliability assessment	Taylor and Francis	1992
Norman D	The design of everyday things	Basic Books	1988
Perrow C	Normal accidents: living with high risk technologies	Basic Books	1994
Preece, J., Rogers, Y. and Sharp, H	Interaction design: beyond human-computer interaction	John Wiley and Sons	2002
Reason J.T.	Human Error	Cambridge University Press	1990
Vicente, K.J.	Cognitive Work Analysis	Lawrence Erlbaum Associates	1999
Villemeur A.	Reliability, availability, maintainability and safety assessment	vol. 2 Wiley	1992
Baddeley, A.D	Your memory: a user's guide	Penguin	1982
Newman W.M. & Lamming M.G.	Interactive system design	Addison-Wesley	1995
Reason, J.	Managing the risks or organizational accidents	Ashgate Publishing Ltd	1997