engineering

Human factors integration

Human factors integration is a engineering topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Human factors integration rather than just read about it. In short: Human Factors Integration (HFI) is the process adopted by a number of key industries (notably defence and hazardous industries like oil & gas) in Europe to integrate human factors and ergonomics into the systems engineering process. Although each industry has different goals, processes, and set of domains (see below the seven MANPRINT-defined domains), the underlying approach is the same.

Key takeaways

Human factors integration belongs to engineering; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Human factors integration to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Human factors integration from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Human Factors Integration (HFI) is the process adopted by a number of key industries (notably defence and hazardous industries like oil & gas) in Europe to integrate human factors and ergonomics into the systems engineering process. Although each industry has different goals, processes, and set of domains (see below the seven MANPRINT-defined domains), the underlying approach is the same.

Overview In essence, HFI tries to reconcile the top down nature of system engineering with the iterative nature of a user centred design approach (e.g. ISO 6385 or ISO 9241-210). It often does this by creating a Human Factors Integration Plan (HFIP) that sits alongside the system development plan. The purpose of the HFIP is to define how the Human Factors Engineering activities necessary for the successful delivery of a particular system will be conducted. It establishes the guiding principles to be followed by the project to implement the best-practice Human Factors methods. As well as the principles involved, the Plan normally describes the organisation, processes and controls necessary over the entire life cycle of the system from the concept phase through to decommissioning.

Domains HFI undertakes this by conducting a formal process that identifies and reconciles human related issues. These issues are split for convenience into domains. The seven domains defined by the US Army under its MANPRINT programme are: Manpower - The number of military and civilian personnel required and potentially available to operate, maintain, sustain and provide training for systems Personnel - The cognitive and physical capabilities required to be able to train for, operate, maintain and sustain systems. Training - The instruction or education, and on-the-job or unit training required to provide personnel their essential job skills, knowledge, values and attributes. Human Factors Engineering - The integration of human characteristics into system definition, design, development, and evaluation to optimise human-machine performance under operational conditions. Health Hazard Assessment - Short or long term hazards to health occurring as a result of normal operation of the system. System safety - Safety risks occurring when the system is functioning in an abnormal manner. Soldier Survivability - The characteristics of a system that can reduce fratricide, detectability and probability of being attacked and minimize system damage, soldier injury and cognitive and physical fatigue. The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) adopted a similar HFI approach to MANPRINT in the early 1990s, but excluded Soldier Survivability. Subsequently the MoD added a seventh 'Social & Organisational' domain. Some industries also include habitability as a separate domain.

HFI Plan The HFI plan scope defines the relationship between all the activities and the Human Factors domains and provides a systematic approach to ensure that:

The human role in the system is defined to optimise human performance in relation to the core system architecture and ancillary equipment. Adequate human-equipment analyses and trade-off studies are performed, revisiting the assumptions throughout the system life cycle. The process is iterative. As the programme progresses, the HF activities involve greater depth of analysis. Biomedical analysis and design support includes the environmental protection necessary to promote health and safety, and the capability for safe operation and maintenance of the core architecture and ancillary equipment. Training characteristics (materials, environment, evaluation criteria, etc.) for system personnel are identified. System testing and evaluation is conducted to verify that users can safely and effectively operate, maintain and support equipment in its intended environment. The design meets agreed operational performance standards and where this is not the case, to modify the design or associated training in such a way that the resultant crewed system meets the required standards.

References

Notes

See also Ergonomics – Designing systems to suit their users

External links Human Factors Integration Defence Technology Centre UK Ministry of Defence Policy, information and guidance on the HFI aspects of UK MOD Defence Acquisition, part of the MOD's Acquisition Operating Framework (AoF). MANPRINT

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Human factors integration

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Human factors integration claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In engineering, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Human factors integration before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Human factors integration ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Human factors integration

In research: Human factors integration appears in engineering research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Human factors integration in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Human factors integration is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Ergonomics, Systems engineering, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Human factors integration outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “Human factors integration” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Human factors integration in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Human factors integration means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Human factors integration out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Human factors integration in simple terms?

Why does Human factors integration matter?

Because it connects several engineering ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Human factors integration?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Human factors integration.