The design of complete systems: Providing human factors guidance for COTS acquisition

In this paper, we describe approaches to provide Human Factors support for the assessment of COTS (commercial off-the-shelf) equipment as part of the MoD acquisition and development processes. Whilst the use of COTS products generally prohibits influence on their design, the design of the socio-technical system into which the product needs to be integrated requires considerable attention. This is especially so when dealing with Human Factors aspects, which are often less tangible than engineering issues, and therefore more difficult to capture in requirements specifications and assessment metrics. We present the development of an assessment tool that aims to capture the breadth of potential Human Factors impacts for the specific requirements of COTS products.     

Routes to failure: analysis of 41 civil aviation accidents from the Republic of China using the human factors analysis and classification system

The human factors analysis and classification system (HFACS) is based upon Reason's organizational model of human error. HFACS was developed as an analytical framework for the investigation of the role of human error in aviation accidents, however, there is little empirical work formally describing the relationship between the components in the model. This research analyses 41 civil aviation accidents occurring to aircraft registered in the Republic of China (ROC) between 1999 and 2006 using the HFACS framework. The results show statistically significant relationships between errors at the operational level and organizational inadequacies at both the immediately adjacent level (preconditions for unsafe acts) and higher levels in the organization (unsafe supervision and organizational influences). The pattern of the 'routes to failure' observed in the data from this analysis of civil aircraft accidents show great similarities to that observed in the analysis of military accidents. This research lends further support to Reason's model that suggests that active failures are promoted by latent conditions in the organization. Statistical relationships linking fallible decisions in upper management levels were found to directly affect supervisory practices, thereby creating the psychological preconditions for unsafe acts and hence indirectly impairing the performance of pilots, ultimately leading to accidents.     

Particulate pollution in ventilated space: analysis of influencing factors

Particle pollution has been identified to be a major indoor air pollution problem as many epidemiologic evidences have indicated that the particle exposure affects the occupant health. In common practice, mechanical ventilation is introduced to maintain a satisfactory indoor air quality for the occupant, which includes the area of particle control within the space. In order to have an effective control to the indoor particle pollution, it is important to understand the major factors influencing the indoor particle concentration in the breathing zone. This study employs a previously proposed approach to study the particle pollution in a typical ventilation system. The model simultaneously takes into account the interactions between particle transport in ventilation ducts and rooms and particle spatial distribution. It has been proven that an entire ventilation system, including filters, ducts and rooms, can be regarded as a serial of filters in steady-state cases, hence the name "particle filter group model". The particle concentration in the breathing zone is calculated under different conditions, and the result is then validated by experimental data. Based on the results, four main factors that affect the particle concentration in the breathing zone are identified, they are fresh air rate, particle filter efficiency, the type of the ventilation duct (roughness) and ventilation modes. Their degrees of influence are analyzed and then the possible measures to improve/control the indoor particle pollution are suggested.     

Recursive modeling of loss of control in human and organizational processes: A systemic model for accident analysis

A recursive model of accident investigation is proposed by exploiting earlier work in systems thinking. Safety analysts can understand better the underlying causes of decision or action flaws by probing into the patterns of breakdown in the organization of safety. For this deeper analysis, a cybernetic model of organizational factors and a control model of human processes have been integrated in this article (i.e., the viable system model and the extended control model). The joint VSM–ECOM framework has been applied to a case study to help safety practitioners with the analysis of patterns of breakdown with regard to how operators and organizations manage goal conflicts, monitor work progress, recognize weak signals, align goals across teams, and adapt plans on the fly. The recursive accident representation brings together several organizational issues (e.g., the dilemma of autonomy versus compliance, or the interaction between structure and strategy) and addresses how operators adapt to challenges in their environment by adjusting their modes of functioning and recovery. Finally, it facilitates the transfer of knowledge from diverse incidents and near misses within similar domains of practice.     

Exploring the determinants of renewable energy innovation considering the institutional factors: A negative binomial analysis

Replacing traditional energy sources with renewable energy sources is an effective way to achieve emission reduction targets. Focusing on OECD countries from 1990 to 2018, this study examines the determinants of renewable energy innovation by applying a negative binomial model. There are four main findings: (1) Renewable energy patents show an inverted U-shaped curve, peaking in 2010; solar energy accounts for the largest share of patents; and the US is the largest renewable energy innovator, followed by South Korea and Germany. (2) Renewable electricity installed capacity, share of expenditure on research and development (R&D) of GDP, and implementation of the Kyoto Protocol are all found to promote innovation; by comparison, the proportion of renewable energy power generation of the total electricity generating capacity shows a negative effect. The price of crude oil shows no significant effect due to the offset effect between the European and non-European country groups. (3) Share of R&D expenditure of GDP is confirmed to be the force driving technological progress in the solar, geothermal, and marine sectors, and it plays a more important role in Japan than in the US or Europe. Implementation of the Kyoto Protocol has no significant effect on innovation in European countries. (4) Three institutional factors—namely, the legal system and property rights; regulations; and freedom to trade internationally—are confirmed to be the driving forces, whereas this is not the case for the growth and free circulation of money. Policy implications for the optimization of the renewable energy sector's structure, the enhancement of renewable energy capacity, and the improvement of R&D investment and the institutional environment are proposed. Future research should shed light on a broader sample, using micro-level and socio-technical analysis.     

Collaborative tool for solving human factors problems in the manufacturing environment: the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving Technique (TRIZ) method

In this study an analysis is made regarding the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving Technique (TRIZ), which emerged in Russia in 1946 and has been commonly used in the USA and Europe in the past few last decades. TRIZ is a method that is used successfully to solve the problems arising during the process of product development. Within this study this method is evaluated from the human factors point of view for the first time. In addition, two applications of the adaptation of TRIZ into human factors problems and works on this goal are presented. The benefits of TRIZ when solving such kind problems are also revealed.     

Numerical analysis of the stress intensity factors for repaired cracks from a notch with bonded composite semicircular patch

In this paper, we investigated the crack growth behaviour of cracked thin aluminium plate repaired with bonded composite patch. The finite element method is used to study the performance of the bonded composite reinforcement or repair for reducing the stress concentration at a semicircular lateral notch and repairing cracks emanating from this kind of notch. The effects of the adhesive properties and the patch size on the stress intensity factor variation at the crack tip in mode I were highlighted. The obtained results show that the stress concentration factor at the semicircular notch root and the stress intensity factor of a crack emanating from notch are reduced with the increase of the diameter and the number of the semicircular patch. The maximal reduction of stress intensity factor is about 42% and 54%, respectively, for single and double patch. However, the gain in the patch thickness increases with the increase of the crack length and it decreases when the patch thickness increases. The adhesive properties must be optimised in order to increase the performance of the patch repair or reinforcement.