The link between individual, job and organisational factors

Human factors asks three questions: what people are being asked to do (the task), who is doing it (the individual and their competence), and where they are working (the organisation). The wider concerns of society influence all three.

Interventions that treat these aspects in isolation will not work. Human factors can and should be included in a good safety management system and examined like any other risk control system.

Biological, psychological and organisational influences on a worker affect safety, and they also affect efficiency and productivity. For example:

• if a task demands a large share of someone's strength, they are more likely to be injured and to work inefficiently, possibly damaging product and tools
• if mental demands are too high, such as diagnosing faults under heavy time pressure, the employee's health may suffer and so may quality and possibly safety on the line, process or plant
• if people have very little say in how they do their job, they may lack motivation and job satisfaction and work less effectively

People have a wide range of abilities and limits. A human factors approach makes the best use of those abilities by designing jobs and equipment that fit people. This improves health and safety and often produces a better managed, more effective organisation.

Summary notes for Element 3 · Cheat sheet · Glossary. A study aid, not published or endorsed by NEBOSH.