The science of human factors is the understanding of the properties of human capability and applying this understanding in the design, development, and deployment of systems and services . It also entails successfully using its principles into the maintenance of a working environment (Sa las et al. , 201 0 ). The SHELL (Software, Hardware, Environment, Liveware) model is a conceptual model used to clarify the scope of human factors in aviation by providing ease of understanding about the relationship between aviation systems and the human component in aviation. In the aviation industry, human factors ha ve grown in popular ity as most incidents, and accidents in th e field are notably due to human errors as opposed to mechanical errors ( Wise et al. , 2016 ). Therefore, t his paper seeks to highlight the wide scope of human factors and the i r influence on human error and performance.
To guarantee a safe and successful working environment, individuals working in the aviation industry must continue to be knowledgeable, flexible and efficient and exerci se good judgment during operation and maintenance. Since technology is evolving faster than the ability of humans to adapt and interact with it, it is important that a scientific basis is used to assess human performance implications in design, training, operations, and maintenance. This implies that reliance on experience and intuition only in decision-making during operation and maintenance is not enough (Graeber, n.d ). Notably, Aircraft Maintenance Technicians (AMTs) are more than the sum of the skills they exhibit in the hanger. Hence , in addition to the scientific basis of performance implications, human factor workshops are necessary as they assist the aviation department in analyzing and optimizing the physical and psychological characteristics of AMTs . This is because these factors dictate the AMTs working relationship and job performance.
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T he three most common human factors that affect the aviation safety management system (SMS) are lack of teamwork, pressure, and norms (Chen & Chen , 2012 ). P oor communication go es hand in hand with the inability to form quality teamwork interactions leading to toxic work environments that propagate unassertiveness. T eamwork allow s for much more to be achieved with limited resources such as technology, money, and manpower. O n the other hand , p ressure in the aviation industry relates to performance versus preparation and how both can be leveraged to make money and drive the business. Th e pressure to always deliver leads to lack of awareness, fatigue, distraction, and stress , affecting the mental energy of the employees in service delivery.
N orms , w hich entails the duties, responsibilities, and behavior of the employees and management , in the aviation industry play a critical role in the functioning of the SMS. Presence of risky norms in the environment lead s to complacency and lack of knowledge resulting in poorly managed aircrafts and hangars. Thus , it is important for aviation industry players to recognize the most thematic human factor relevant to them by identifying their environment needs so as to achieve productivity from their team s ( Chen & Chen , 201 2 ). An example of a plane crash that was caused by human factors is the Southwest Airlines Flight 1455 (Dismukes et al., 2017) . The crash took place on March 5, 2000, a s the plane was landing in California from Las Vegas . T here were initial warning signs on the cockpit alerting the captain and his first officer that the flight speed and the angle of descent were all outside of the glide path. Due to failure to heed from the captain and feelings of being subdued by the first officer, these warnings were ignored causing the plane to overrun the runway, crashing through a fence and into a wall nearly missing gas station pumps and coming to rest in a neighborhood. In this case, h ad the crew worked together and follow ed the approved procedures and necessary amendments, an aborted approach would have avoided the cash. In an attempt to prove negligence as the cause of the crash , the lawyers and human factors engineers worked on uncovering the reason why the warning was not effective in order to improve aviation safety. It is for such reasons that the captain, first officer, crew members and the control tower should work together to ensure safety of the flight and its passengers without allowing disrespect, intimidation, distractions, and pride to come in between them.
It should, however, be noted that not all air accidents or incidents are caused by the flight crews. These accidents or incidents could also be due to accumulative latent errors which at a certain time and place come face-to-face with the flight crew. The response of the flight crew during such moments determines whether the occurrence would happen or otherwise be well managed and avoided. This proves that operational errors done at the hangar or track can be the cause of these accidents or incidents way before the flight crew have anything to do with it. This concept of chain of events causing accumulative latent errors is widely known as the Swiss Cheese Model and was pioneered by Professor James Reason. T hough the flight crew cannot be wholly blamed for all air accidents or incidents, the decisions that they make at such times can be the deciding element of whether the accident or incident will or will not happen (Wise et al. , 2016 ).
To combat pilot error, the aviation industry adopted formal training programs that could improve on coordination and communication. This led to the introduction of Cockpit Resource Management (CRM) and was later changed to Crew Resource Management. This was established as a reaction to the threat that human factors posed to the aviation industry. The training programme for CRM was targete d at manag ing the factors which according to previous research did a good job in mitigating human errors that rose due to the lack of interpersonal communication, decision making, misjudgments and aspects of poor leadership. The CRM training makes better use of the flight crew team so as to ensure improvement in the overall interpersonal elements of the aircraft operations. Eventually, the success of the training is dependent on the individual.
A part from training, another approach to identify ing and mitigat ing possible human factors is to have an organized working environment for the employees. An a irline manufacturer such as Boeing has employ ed human factor experts who focus their expertise in cognitive psychology, physiology, human performance, visual perception, ergonomics, and human-computer interface design. Their combined knowledge and effort contribute to the design and production of airlines which perform at their best possible capability compensating for their natural limitations ( Graeber, 1999 ). An excellently organized environment is evidenced by leadership, communication and sharing the same goals as a team and. Considered the best in the world, Boeing is well-known for providing guidance and support to its people while cultivating a culture of safety and cooperation.
In conclusion, it is worth noting that there is no accident no matter how obvious the contributing factors seem to be, ever happens in isolation. Alt hough errors that have been encountered in the aviation industry in the past have been corrected, more can still be done with regard to manag ing human error in aircraft design, development, and maintenance. This understanding is important in preparing the industry players for future challenges in the aviation industry. Therefore, despite the progress and evolution that has taken place in the aviation industry, there is a need to consistently research and improve on the science of human factors due to its crucial role in the aviation industry.
References
Chen, C. F., & Chen, S. C. (2012). Scale development of safety management system evaluation for the airline industry. Accident Analysis & Prevention , 47 , 177-181.
Dismukes, K., Berman, B. A., & Loukopoulos, L. D. (2007). The limits of expertise: Rethinking pilot error and the causes of airline accidents . Ashgate Publishing, Ltd..
Graeber, C. (1999). The role of human factors in improving aviation safety. Boeing Commercial Airplanes Group. Aero magazine , (8).
Salas, E., Jentsch, F., & Maurino, D. (Eds.). (2010). Human factors in aviation . Academic Press.
Wise, J. A., Hopkin, V. D., & Garland, D. J. (Eds.). (2016). Handbook of aviation human factors . CRC Press.
