Human Factors Foundation Course
Strengthening the Human Element in High-Reliability Operations
Human Factors Foundation Course
Technical expertise gets the job done. Human Factors ensure it's done safely.
In safety-critical environments, the most sophisticated technical systems in the world can still be compromised by a single human error. The Global Air Training Human Factors Foundation Course is a definitive 1-day programme designed to help high-reliability organisations—from nuclear and energy to datacentres and transport—reduce accidents by mastering the science of human performance.
Moving Beyond Traditional Safety
Traditional safety training focuses on what to do. Human Factors training focuses on how people behave, especially under pressure.
Our approach equips your workforce with Non-Technical Skills (NTS)—the cognitive and interpersonal tools that complement technical competency. By understanding the "why" behind human error, your team can move from a reactive stance to a proactive culture of safety and reliability.
Key Learning Outcomes
- Situational Awareness: Developing the "mental picture" to anticipate hazards before they manifest.
- Error Management: Learning the aviation-proven framework of Avoiding, Trapping, and Mitigating errors.
- Decision Making: Understanding how stress, fatigue, and bias impact critical choices in the field.
- Effective Communication: Breaking down silos and ensuring clear, assertive information exchange.
- Workload & Fatigue Management: Recognising the physiological limits of the human operator.
Course Programme: Human Factors in Safety Critical Organisations
Foundation Course (1-Day Intensive)
Our comprehensive one-day programme is designed to equip students with a deep understanding of human performance within high-reliability environments. Industry-specific examples and case studies are integrated throughout the modules to ensure practical relevance.
- Course Foundation: Introduction to course aims, objectives, and the background of Human Factors.
- Understanding Human Error: Exploring the need for HF training through real-world examples of human error.
- Threat and Error Management (TEM):
- The TEM concept and defining threats within your specific operations.
- Strategies for managing threats and understanding the "error chain" concept.
- Practical application via a focused Case Study.
- Decision Making:
- Analysis of the decision-making process and Dual Process Theory.
- Dynamics of decision-making within teams.
- Identifying common "traps" and barriers to effective choices.
- Utilising specific tools to promote and maintain effective decisions.
- Teamwork and Behaviour:
- Identifying the features of high-reliability teams.
- Examining how attitudes (positive, negative, and hazardous) impact safety and performance.
- Techniques for dealing with differences and applying graded assertiveness.
- Advanced Communication:
- Addressing barriers to communication and methods for promotion.
- Effective job briefings, post-job reviews, and the "safety stop".
- Assertive communication techniques, including the PACE model.
- Situational Awareness and Vigilance:
- Defining situational awareness and identifying common traps.
- The impact of fatigue, overload, and underload on operational safety.
- Strategies for raising and maintaining vigilance to reduce errors.
- Practical Application Exercise
- Review and Certification: Final summary, Q&A session, and issuance of course certificates.
Learning Outcomes: Human Factors in Safety Critical Organisations
By the end of this 1-day foundation programme, participants will have developed the following core competencies and non-technical skills:
- Understanding Human Performance: Gain a comprehensive background in Human Factors and recognize the critical need for HF training through real-world examples of human error.
- Proactive Error Management: Identify operational threats and apply the Threat and Error Management (TEM) framework to manage errors and break the "error chain".
- Effective Decision-Making: Utilize specialized tools to promote effective decisions while avoiding common psychological traps and barriers.
- Team Synergy and Assertiveness: Demonstrate the features of a high-reliability team and apply graded assertiveness when addressing differences in a professional setting.
- Precision Communication: Implement the PACE model for assertive intervention and conduct structured job briefings and post-job reviews.
- Vigilance and Awareness: Maintain situational awareness and identify the warning signs of fatigue, overload, or underload that lead to reduced vigilance.
- Practical Application: Successfully integrate decision-making, teamwork, and communication skills during an immersive, high-stakes group simulation.
Who Should Attend?
This foundation programme is specifically designed for personnel operating within high-reliability environments—such as nuclear, energy, datacentres, and heavy manufacturing—where human error can lead to significant safety or commercial consequences, including:
- Site & Operations Managers: Leaders responsible for overseeing high-risk activities and managing the decision-making processes within their teams.
- Safety & Health Officers (HSE): Professionals tasked with identifying threats, breaking the "error chain," and implementing robust Threat and Error Management (TEM) frameworks.
- Lead Engineers & Technical Supervisors: Senior technical staff who must manage team behaviours, workload, and the impact of fatigue during complex maintenance or operations.
- Frontline Operators & Technicians: Personnel involved in day-to-day high-risk tasks who require the skills to conduct effective job briefings and maintain high levels of situational awareness.
- Compliance & Quality Auditors: Individuals who need to understand the human causes of error and the features of an effective, safety-conscious team.
Flexible Delivery Options
We provide four distinct ways to access this training, ensuring it integrates seamlessly with your operational requirements.
| Option | Format | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Classroom Training | UK Training Centre | Instructor-led sessions at our dedicated UK training centre. |
| Live Online | Virtual Classroom | Interactive, virtual sessions through our advanced Learning Management System. |
| In-Company Training | At Your Facility | Bespoke solutions delivered at your facility, tailored to your specific site risks and SOPs. |
| Self-Paced E-Learning | Online | An on-demand foundation for individual learning and rapid onboarding. |
Protect Your People and Your Assets
Do not wait for a "near miss" to reveal the weaknesses in your safety culture. Invest in the cognitive resilience of your workforce today.
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