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Human factors general sites

ORR is not responsible for and cannot guarantee the accuracy of information on sites that it does not manage; and a hyperlink does not mean that ORR has endorsed the linked site.

  • PACTS - Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety-PACTS is an associate Parliamentary group and registered charity, advising and informing MPs and Peers on road, rail and air safety issues. The PACTS charitable objective is to protect human life through the promotion of transport safety for the public benefit. It brings together safety professionals and legislators to identify research-based solutions to transport safety problems having regard to cost, effectiveness, achievability and acceptability.
  • The Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors-An international organisation for professionals using knowledge of human abilities and limitations to design and build for comfort, efficiency, productivity and safety. The Society maintains a Consultancy Register, which is intended as an authoritative list of individuals and organisations who are capable of providing ergonomics advice to clients, on a consultancy basis, to the high technical and commercial standards required by the Society.
  • The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET)-A new institution formed in spring 2006 by the coming together of the IEE and IIE. They serve a global community engaged in engineering and technology. They promote the advancement of electrical, electronic and manufacturing science and engineering. Access to papers concerned with human factors engineering - many on railway.
  • Human Factors & Ergonomics Society-HFES aims to promote the discovery and exchange of knowledge concerning the characteristics of human beings that are applicable to the design of systems and devices of all kinds. It furthers serious consideration of knowledge about the assignment of appropriate functions for humans and machines, whether people serve as operators, maintainers, or users in the system. And, it advocates systematic use of such knowledge to achieve compatibility in the design of interactive systems of people, machines, and environments to ensure their effectiveness, safety, and ease of performance. The Society was founded in 1957 and has 22 technical groups.
  • Ergoweb-This site offers an introduction to ergonomics and case studies as well as a variety of reference materials, notably physical design.
  • Bad Human Factor designs-A scrapbook of illustrated examples of things that are hard to use because they do not follow human factors principles.
  • The British HCI Group-The British Human-Computer Interaction Group works to break down barriers and to promote communication between people who use computers, people who implement them, and people who investigate HCI issues. The group works with professional societies to support practitioners and to promote standards of HCI within the information and communications technology industries.
  • Railway Industries Advisory Committee (RIAC) Human Factors Working Group-The group was responsible for developing a human factors strategy for RIAC. The strategy included an action plan for promoting the consistent use of human factors good practice in the railway industry. Human factors refers to environmental, organisational and job factors and human and individual characteristics which influence behaviour at work in a way which can affect health and safety.
  • Health and Safety Executive (HSE) - Human factors-The HSE is responsible for the regulation of risks to health and safety arising from work activity in Britain. Their mission is to ensure that risks to people's health and safety from work activities are properly controlled. Their website contains much useful information on human factors issues.