FAQs

What is Human Performance?

Human Performance is a term used to capture the broad spectrum of human factors in the context of improved output or effect. Human factors has been formally defined as "Ergonomics (or human factors) is the scientific discipline concerned with the understanding of interactions among humans and other elements of a system, and the profession that applies theory, principles, data and methods to design in order to optimize human well-being and overall system performance.” or more simply "Understanding the interactions between people and all other elements within a system, and design in light of this understanding."

Why are Human Factors and Human Performance relevant to my job?

You might hear that human error is responsible for 70-90% of all accidents. The problem is that human error is normal and we can't completely stop it. The same behaviours and designs which lead to error, also lead to high performance. However, Human Performance and Human Factors awareness training can drastically improve the ratio between error and high performance by understanding the strengths and limitations we have and exploiting them for a positive benefit.

Isn't Human Performance just part of Health and Safety or contained within the role of the HSE team?

A simple answer might be yes, in that Human Performance and Human Factors both indirectly contribute to the health and safety of all workers. However, Human Performance can look at why the compliance laws, rules, guidelines and procedures are not necessarily being followed and ways in which this behaviour can be improved. This isn't just about changing the worker, it is looking at the system as a whole and managing the relationships between the parts of it.

What does the HSE say about Human Performance?

"People are involved in all aspects of work, which is why HSE recognises the importance that human factors can play in helping avoid accidents and ill-health at work." Leading with Human Performance in mind is essential to prevent major accidents, occupational accidents and ill health, all of which can cost business money, reputation and potentially their continued existence. As the saying goes, "If you think safety’s expensive, try having an accident…". On a more serious note, when it comes to adverse outcomes, prediction is better than prevention which is better than mitigation.

Do you offer bespoke training?

Yes, we do. Our training can be tailored specifically to meet the aims of clients from any industry.

What is your approach to high-performance team development?

We believe that learning should be fun, enjoyable and challenging at the same time. The aim of learning is to create long-lasting change and benefits in the organisation, not just focusing on skills uptake during the sessions. To do this we work with clients to discuss specific goals and build these into the programmes. Clarity of role and goals is a sign of great leadership and this is how we ensure that key learning points are transferred back to the work environment to create positive change.

What other services do you offer?

We offer consultancy, continuing professional development, training needs analysis and Train the Trainer packages.