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EG55P9: HUMAN FACTORS ENGINEERING (2018-2019)

Last modified: 18 Jul 2019 10:20


Course Overview

Human Factors Engineering (HFE) relates to how people interact with engineering systems. Failures in these areas are involved in all major incidents. Candidates explore them as part of this course. First, a review of major accidents will be undertaken to identify how equipment design, individual behaviours, and organisational behaviours contributed. Equipment/system design and the effect it has on individuals’ behaviours is explored. Human Error is addressed. Finally, organisational behaviours will be examined. Leading and Lagging indicators are explored and their strengths/weaknesses considered. Candidates have the opportunity to complete practical assessments led by industry practitioners with specialist expertise in HFE.

Course Details

Study Type Postgraduate Level 5
Term Second Term Credit Points 15 credits (7.5 ECTS credits)
Campus Old Aberdeen Sustained Study No
Co-ordinators
  • Dr Waheed Afzal

What courses & programmes must have been taken before this course?

  • Any Postgraduate Programme (Studied)
  • Engineering (EG) (Studied)

What other courses must be taken with this course?

None.

What courses cannot be taken with this course?

None.

Are there a limited number of places available?

No

Course Description

Human Factors Engineering (HFE) covers a range of issues relating to how people interact with complex engineering systems. These can be grouped into one of three main areas - Man-Equipment interfaces and interactions; Organisational Behaviours; and Personal Behaviour/Human Error. Failures in these three areas are involved in all major incidents and candidates will explore them as part of this course. First, a review of a number of major accidents will be undertaken to identify how the equipment design, individual behaviours, and organisational behaviours contributed. The role of equipment/system design and the effect it has on individuals' behaviours is then explored, including man-machine interfaces. Human Error is then addressed, including error types and the impact of environmental factors. This will be applied to Critical Task Analysis and Human Reliability Assessment. Finally, organisational behaviours will be examined. Leading and Lagging indicators are explored and their strengths and weaknesses considered. At each stage, students will have the opportunity to complete practical assessments led by industry practitioners with specialist expertise in HFE.

Further Information & Notes

Registered for MSc Process Safety, MSc Safety & Reliability Engineering for Oil and Gas or MSc Safety & Reliability Engineering


Contact Teaching Time

Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.

Teaching Breakdown

More Information about Week Numbers


Details, including assessments, may be subject to change until 30 August 2024 for 1st term courses and 20 December 2024 for 2nd term courses.

Summative Assessments

1st Attempt: 3-hour written examination (80%); Continuous assessment (20%)

Resit: The re-sit will comprise of re-doing the failed element/s (exam and/or coursework assessment/s) from the 1st attempt with a maximum CGS mark of D3. The marks for other elements (successfully passed) will be carried over. Resit mark of either RP or RF will be recorded.

Formative Assessment

There are no assessments for this course.

Feedback

Feedback is given in the form of discussion with course tutors in contact sessions and on VLE and return of continually assessed work.

Course Learning Outcomes

None.

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