Application of human factors to a new project

The owners of a large-scale onshore and offshore development agreed to incorporate human factors engineering (HFE) into the base design and philosophy of a new operation.

Action

With senior management endorsement, HFE professionals helped to produce a human factors programme based on seven key principles.

1. Involve HFE early in the project
2. Assign an HFE champion
3. Locate capability in engineering departments
4. Base programme on accepted HFE design standards
5. Involve an HSE professional in appropriate tasks
6. Design facilities either to eliminate or minimise human error and to mitigate errors that may occur
7. Extend influence of HFE beyond facility design

Implementation

With the approval of an “HFE champion”, work instructions outlining HFE expectations were issued to project staff. Technical staff training started immediately. HFE professionals were included as part of the engineering team.

Impact

Component rearrangements (relocation of heat exchangers, orientation and elevation of large valve components, deluge pipe simplification) comprised the majority of HFE changes. Because these rearrangements were incorporated early in the design process, their cost was minimal.

Human factors also influenced procedures development, training, labeling and signage to enable efficient and effective training.

The HFE programme introduced a number of standardised designs for the project, including a ladder design specifically covered by one of the HFE guides.

Results

Project HFE costs reflect personnel charges only. HFE driven design changes were considered design development. The original estimated cost for the HFE programme was 0.07 percent of the facilities budget. The actual HFE cost for this project was approximately half of the estimate.