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The Energy Institute has published new guidance on applying a human factors approach in task-based risk assessment.

The step-by-step advice is designed to help people who are responsible for risk assessments and ensure they consider human factors during their work. It explains how to build human factors into an organisation’s processes and how to create assessments that look at error-producing conditions as well as considering hazards. There’s also guidance for organisation leaders on how to implement the tools and techniques it covers.

The Energy Institute said: “Although human factors and error-producing conditions may be considered during project-level risk assessments and for the most hazardous tasks (e.g. as part of fulfilling COMAH-related regulatory requirements), they're often ignored in the more 'everyday' task-based risk assessments conducted as part of work planning – including job safety analysis, permit to work, etc. – despite the fact that error-producing conditions can be identified and managed at these stages.

“Unfortunately, the lack of consideration of human factors at the work planning stage has resulted in tragic incidents and fatalities, such as a fatal steam release when contractors performed maintenance on the wrong part of a plant.

“This guide provides useful tools and techniques to ensure that human factors is considered during work planning.”

The guide can be downloaded for free from the Energy Institute website.