Human-Machine Interface (HMI)

Capability of hardware to facilitate operator actions and decision making

- Switches/valves at suitable height with operator

- If needed for process reading at site, visibility of the indicator/display is good to eye
reference? Location?
- HS or HW is provided where necessary?
- Authority limits?

Alarms
- Operator action on alarm or automated system i.e. ESD? When and why
- Do alarms set to priority i.e. High-Priority alarms – only 5%?
- Number of false alarms – monitoring, alarm rationalization?
- ARP is available and updated?

Human-System Interface (HSI)

Capability of software to facilitate operator actions and decision making

- Manual/operating guidance to use the program – adequate information, easy to

understand?
- Display of information – all the information is stored digitally and able to identify
when needed?
- Capability of the program– all the data including stated in standard i.e. safe operation
limits, alarm LAHH etc., available in program; which data do operator need to now
by heart?
- Any visibility restrictions of the GUI? i.e. colours, markings, illumination etc.
- User friendliness

Personnel knowledge skills & training

Technical capability of operator/engineer

- Know system parameters by heart i.e. flows, pressure and temperature and about
process flow without use of instructions and system diagrams?
- Knowledge about all documents of relevance for the operation of the plant and the
applications of each of these documents.
- Knowledge about how logs and reports of relevance for the plant operation are being
filled in and handled.
- Identify causes of the disturbance by heart?
- Estimate consequences of the disturbance without use of disturbance instructions?
- Taking the latest scenario of process plant upset as an example; how many operators
did take necessary steps to ensure continued operation, safe shut-down - without
influences from someone else (i.e. shift supervisor or the surroundings) and without
use of manual/instructions?
- During process upset, who is the most critical person for the process of taking action?

Standard Training

- Who & when: will give procedural training to new personnel? What are the stages of
training for some new personnel?
- Is there OJT module for every new personnel? Revised timely?
- Detailed training on process unit failures i.e. heard but not experienced unit failures,
etc.
- What are emergency preparedness training/practice done? How often its done? Any
special training to train personnel to be reflexive/performing under pressure?
- Communication skills & confident among personnel – needed?
- Any other training/knowledge transfer method used i.e. workshops; to provide
insights to personnel?

Operator Training Simulator (OTS)

- How many operators involved in OTS, how long for each session?
- Any examination/written assessment post training?
- Able to assess operators’ performance?

 The human performance falls off with boredom and information overload. TOO
MUCH information and cannot segregate the critical or top-level information from
the low level unimportant information.

 Overall challenges in providing continuous training i.e. budget, etc.:

 Actions taken to overcome the challenges:

 in operation, the process status, any concerns or work that has to be carried out, such as
in databases of that type of process. Both are essential readings. Finally, the operators will tell
One vital feature of the handover between Managers is the listing of the equipment and the

The shift worker or team hand over is equally important and should contain a list of the Permits
problems associated/experienced, the problems to look out for and how to handle them. This
is known as downward knowledge transfer. There is second source of knowledge to be found

Question set: HF in accident investigation

Question Site response Inspectors view Improvements needed
1 Are investigations carried out by multi-functional
teams, including operators where appropriate?
2 Do investigations recognise that accidents normally
have more than one cause?
3 Do investigations identify underlying causes and
system failures, not only immediate causes?
4 Do investigations recognise that there are dif erent
some stories about their operating problems…

types of human failure, and take appropriate remedial

action (i.e. avoiding pat answers to ‘human error’)?
5 Do investigations of human failures look for root
causes (performance influencing factors)?
6 Are employees blamed only where fair?
7 Is the quality of investigations control ed, i.e. through
Human-Human Interface

Accidents involving HF
management arrangements such as training,
guidance and quality assurance?

maintenance etc.
8 Is there an effective mechanism for action tracking?