Human Factors Engineering

HFE

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 HUMAN FACTORS ENGINEERING DEFINITION

HFE is a sociotechnical approach to systems design which deals with the application

of principles behind the understanding of human capabilities, limitations and

behaviors to design management systems, work environment and procedures for a

safer workplace.

Also called Ergonomics, it is a multidisciplinary approach to engineering that focuses

on the integration of these 3 elements:

 People

 Technology

 Workplace

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INTERACTION BETWEEN HFE ELEMENETS

Training Human Machine

Interface

Task design

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 HFE OBJECTIVES

Human factors considerations are focused on:

 Reducing occupational and process safety HSE risks of
facilities
 Eliminate or reduce potential of human error and its
consequences
 Improving human efficiency and productivity to
increase operational performance
This can be achieved by fitting the task and environment to the person rather
than making the person to significantly adapt to perform the task.

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 HFE CATEGORIES

Human Factors
Engineering HFE

Valves Criticality Safety Critical Tasks

Analysis Analysis
VCA SCTA

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 VCA METHODOLOGY

VCA is conducted to identify and classify all valves according to their criticality and

will serve as a guide to design and locate these valves in such a manner that safe

operation and maintenance will be facilitated

The classification of each valve will depend on:

 Its functionality

 Its criticality for safety and operations

 Its frequency of operations or maintenance

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 VCA METHODOLOGY

Compile list of valves

based on P&IDs

Classify valves & mark-

up P&IDs

C1 Accessibility C1, C2, C3 Accessibility

Requirements C3 ? Requirements

C2 Accessibility
Requirements

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 VALVES CLASSIFICATION

In order to address the valves classification in an effective manner, five questions

should be used:

Is it essential for process control?

 A valve is classified as C1 if
Is it essential for safeguarding?
one of the yes/no questions
Does the valve have high failure frequency?
receives a yes or if it’s

operated more than once in 6

Will failure of quick access to the valve
cause serious consequences?
months.

How often is the valve operated?

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 VALVES CLASSIFICATION

The answer of those questions will determine the appropriate valve category:
Valve
Criteria
Category
-Valves essential to process control
-Valves essential to safeguarding / safety of personnel
Category 1 -Valves with high failure frequency and require quick access for corrective
C1 action
-Valves which, if not accessed quickly, can cause serious consequence
-Valves which are expected to be used for operations and maintenance
more than once every 6 months
Category 2 Valves which are not critical for operations as well as infrequently used (less
C2 than once every 6 months) for operations and maintenance
Category 3 Valves which are not critical for operations or routine maintenance and
C3 rarely used (e.g. only during commissioning, startup, shutdown, rare
maintenance tasks)

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VALVES CLASSIFICATION WORKSHEET EXAMPLE

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 VALVE CATEGORY REQUIREMENT

The requirements related to each valve category are :

Valve
Criteria
Category

• The height and reach distances shall conform to the

"Preferred" location.
Category 1 • Permanent accessibility shall be provided at deck or ground
C1 level or via a permanent standing elevated surface (with
access by stairs).
• They shall not be located so that they have to be operated
from a ladder

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 VALVE CATEGORY REQUIREMENT

The requirements related to each valve category are :

Valve
Criteria
Category

• Height and reach distance of these valves should preferably be

in "Preferred" location
• valves may be located within the "Acceptable" location
depending on their size and the force needed to operate them.
Category 2 • Where ground level access, or where deck level access by
C2 stairs, is not justifiable, a vertical fixed ladder plus a small
standing surface shall be provided for valve operation.
• The use of auxiliary equipment to gain access for maintenance
purposes may be acceptable as long as it is indicated and
allowed for in the design by preserving sufficient space and
access for personnel, tools, parts, and equipment

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 VALVE CATEGORY REQUIREMENT

The requirements related to each valve category are :

Valve
Criteria
Category

•Permanent accessibility to these valves is desirable but not

essential. No specific location requirements are imposed.
•The use of auxiliary equipment to gain access to these valves
Category 3 shall be indicated and allowed for in the design.
C3 •Portable ladders should not be used for accessing valves. Any
proposed exception(s) to this shall be subject to specific review
and approval.
•Height and reach distances to these valves when operated from
auxiliary equipment shall conform to the "Preferred" location.

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 VALVE CATEGORY REQUIREMENT

• Preferred and acceptable positions are to be taken from Petronas Human Factors
Engineering (HFE) in Upstream Projects Standard “UHSE ST 0001”

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 SCTA METHODOLOGY

SCTA consists of the evaluation of human tasks that are safety critical to ensure the

design incorporates features identified as necessary to reduce risk of human failure /

error to ALARP. It can be defined as the study of what a person is required to do in

terms of physical actions and mental processes.

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 SCTA METHODOLOGY

SCTA comprises five main steps:

Identify Major Accident Hazards (MAH)

Identify safety critical tasks

 List MAHs of the facility
Understand the identified tasks
 Understand the hazards and

Identify human failures and Performance their consequences

Influencing Factors (PIF)

Determine safety measures to control

human failures

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 SCTA METHODOLOGY

SCTA comprises five main steps:

Identify Major Accident Hazards (MAH)

Identify safety critical tasks

 List safety critical tasks
Understand the identified tasks
 Prioritize based on MAH

Identify human failures and Performance

Influencing Factors (PIF)

Determine safety measures to control

human failures

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 SCTA METHODOLOGY

SCTA comprises five main steps:

Identify Major Accident Hazards (MAH)

 Full understanding of safety

Identify safety critical tasks critical tasks

 Identify who does what, when,

Understand the identified tasks
sequence of tasks etc.
Identify human failures and Performance
Influencing Factors (PIF)  Breakdown of key steps for

each task
Determine safety measures to control
human failures

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 SCTA METHODOLOGY

SCTA comprises five main steps:

Identify Major Accident Hazards (MAH)

Identify safety critical tasks

 Identify potential human failures
Understand the identified tasks
and their consequences

 Identify PIFs
Identify human failures and Performance
Influencing Factors (PIF)

Determine safety measures to control

human failures

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 SCTA METHODOLOGY

SCTA comprises five main steps:

Identify Major Accident Hazards (MAH)

Identify safety critical tasks  Identify current safety measures

 Identify potential additional safety

Understand the identified tasks
measures
Identify human failures and Performance
 ALARP demonstration
Influencing Factors (PIF)

Determine safety measures to control

human failures

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Typical SCTA WORKSHEET

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION