Human Factors, Human Error and Railway Occurrences

#railways #ergonomics #railwayoperators

In the South African railway industry alone the State-of-Safety report for 2018/2019 issued by the Railway Safety Regulator, noted 3,990 operational occurrences, with as much as 66.7% relating to Human Factors. Generally speaking the incidents that have made headlines over the years, normally state “Human Error” as the cause.

In our Coffee with the Editor, we speak to Sma Ngcamu-Tukulula the MD and Human Factors/ Ergonomics Consultant of Smart Ergonomics. Sma addresses the “Human Error” term in railway occurrences and whilst this may be the end result, the “why” is actually only the start of the conversation. We need to dig deeper and understand what within the system allowed the error to happen in the first place, as the same type of incidents keeps reoccurring.

Smart Ergonomics is launching a new programme in September this year that will be tailored to the railway sector to deal with Human Factors. Including, the elements of understanding the job scope, work plan and the human required to execute the work. The human is at the core and each human is different.

Smart Ergonomics

RAILWAYS AFRICA MAGAZINE

[FikileThotha]

Sma is an embodiment of railway efficiency and an expect in everything that happens before a train is placed on the line. Highly knowledgeable and so into details...

[gerriejordaan]

Gerrie Jordaan I have been in the technical training for many years and most human factors are deriving from lack of well designed or poor assessment for certification. I suggest a outside specialist to Moderate the certification processes