Why Do Human Factors Matter?

Safety is always the number one priority within all high-risk industries and with the UK governments Health & Safety Executive estimating that up to 80% of accidents are attributed to human error, it is critical that organisations address training needs in this area alongside the more common technical training delivered to front-line teams.

An excellent example of the impact of human factors training can be demonstrated in the commercial airline industry. Industry leadership recognised in the 1980's that reductions in fatal accidents had plateaued despite continued technological advancements and that the human factors were the next issue to address in the endeavour to make flying even safer. By 1988 Crew Resource Management training became mandatory and by 2017 the industry recorded it's first ever zero fatality calendar year. Many sectors and industries are following suit and implementing and mandating human factors training.