Nuclear human factors comparisons update – Geoff Cardwell (1 June 2014)

Summary

Athough considerable progress has been made with comparing human factors in a safety critical industry to human factors in healthcare, it is clear that the variabilities found in healthcare are far more complex than industrial situations.

While comparing human factors in the operating room and intensive care unit with systems from the airline, maritime and off shore industries is appropriate, Geoff Cardwell in this article discusses why a generalised approach to apply human factors in the routine activities of hospitals is needed and the nuclear industry is more appropriate for this wider context, where the ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) principles is used for managing radiation exposure.

This approach can be compared to minimising the exposure to infection and superbugs in hospitals as well as reducing process failure where human factors are involved.