Visualising Safety: The Potential for Using Sociotechnical Systems Models in Prospective Safety Assessment and Design

There is growing emphasis within safety science and Human Factors/Ergonomics on the benefits of applying a sociotechnical systems perspective in order to influence design and thereby improve safety in everyday operations. This article examines how viewing work as a sociotechnical system – using visual models and representations – helps in understanding how work is performed and how it contributes to safe operations. A series of five models, developed using methods from Activity Theory, Cybernetics, Cognitive Systems Engineering and Resilience Engineering, are used to illustrate the work of maritime pilots and Vessel Traffic Services operators. Each model is examined using a modelling framework for prospective safety assessment, with the conclusion that it is how the models are applied, rather than their underlying methodologies, which determines their usefulness in this context. Different models highlight different aspects of work and facilitate discussion of safety, for example in a participatory design process, and the authors discuss criteria to guide their use and evaluation.

• Record URL:
  • https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2018.09.003
• Record URL:
  • http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925753517317125
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/09257535
• Supplemental Notes:
  • © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Abstract reprinted with permission of Elsevier.
• Authors:
  • de Vries, Linda
  • Bligård, Lars-Ola
• Publication Date: 2019-1

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Features: References;
• Pagination: pp 80-93
• Serial:
  • Safety Science
  • Volume: 111
  • Issue Number: 0
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 0925-7535
  • Serial URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/09257535

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Human factors; Marine safety; Mathematical models; Safety factors; Ship operations; Ship pilots; Vessel operations; Water traffic; Water transportation
• Subject Areas: Marine Transportation; Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01683733
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Oct 19 2018 5:12PM