Keynote Speaker 3
| Title | Human Factors And Ergonomics (Hf&E) In The Systems Lifecycle |
| Speaker | Dr. Robert Bridger, Institute of Naval Medicine |
Biography
Dr RS Bridger is Head of the Human Factors Department at the Institute of Naval Medicine, UK. Prior to this, he was responsible for the postgraduate programme in ergonomics at the University of Cape Town. He is author of the textbook, ‘introduction to Ergonomics’ published by CRC Press (3rd edition in English and 2nd edition in Chinese). He is a fellow and council member of the Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors and is the Institute’s honorary general treasurer. He also acts as an expert witness in civil litigation.
He is author of over 70 articles published in peer-reviewed journals, 80 official reports, over 30 conference papers and articles in non- peer reviewed journals. His main interests are in HFI and in systems-focussed applied research in HF&E. He is also interested in the application of psychometric techniques and concepts in HF&E and more generally, in HF&E education.
Abstract
There is a clear distinction between the knowledge base of Human Factors and Ergonomics (HF&E) and the processes needed to apply the knowledge in systems development - ´SHuman Factors Integration (HFI)’. Key components of HFI are reviewed following a brief historical introduction and a discussion of systems theoretical concepts. The main steps of HFI will be reviewed beginning with the identification of a capability need and ending with a review of acceptance testing. In addition, the application of HFI concepts to accident investigations and safety management will also be described, using examples.
Common theme to both systems safety and systems design is the identification of requirements - a critical entry point for scientific knowledge of HFE. The presentation will end with two short case studies to contrast ´S HFI thinking’ with traditional ergonomics approaches. The former focuses on technology management and the processes for optimal exploitation of resources, including human resources, whereas the latter is an extension of basic science to risk assessment. The former is an essential part of systems requirements specification and the latter features strongly in acceptance testing.
