WORKSITE HUMAN FACTORS CHECKLIST

Section 1: Housekeeping and General Work Environment

Item Question Response Comments
Are adequate signs posted near
___ Yes
maintenance, cleanup, or staging areas to
1.1 ___ No
warn workers of special or unique
___ N/A
hazards associated with the areas?
Are adequate barriers erected to limit ___ Yes
1.2 access to maintenance, cleanup, or ___ No
staging areas? ___ N/A

___ Yes
1.3 Are working areas generally clean? ___ No
___ N/A

Are provisions in place to limit the time a ___ Yes

1.4 worker spends in an extremely hot or ___ No
cold area? ___ N/A

___ Yes
1.5 Is noise maintained at a tolerable level? ___ No
___ N/A

Are alarms audible above background ___ Yes

1.6 noise both inside the control room and in ___ No
the process area? ___ N/A

___ Yes
Are normal and emergency lighting
1.7 ___ No
sufficient for all area operations?
___ N/A

___ Yes
Is there adequate backup power for
1.8 ___ No
emergency lighting?
___ N/A

___ Yes
Is the general environment conducive to
1.9 ___ No
safe job performance?
___ N/A
 WORKSITE HUMAN FACTORS CHECKLIST

Section 2: Accessibility / Availability of Equipment

Item Question Response Comments
Are adequate supplies of protective gear ___ Yes
2.1 readily available for routine and ___ No
emergency use? ___ N/A

Are workers able to perform both routine ___ Yes

2.2 and emergency tasks safely while ___ No
wearing protective equipment? ___ N/A

Is emergency equipment accessible ___ Yes

2.3 without presenting further hazards to ___ No
personnel? ___ N/A

___ Yes
Is communications equipment adequate
2.4 ___ No
and easily accessible?
___ N/A

___ Yes
Would others quickly know if a worker is
2.5 ___ No
incapacitated in a process area?
___ N/A

___ Yes
Are the right tools (including special
2.6 ___ No
tools) available and used when needed?
___ N/A

___ Yes
Is communications equipment adequate
2.7 ___ No
and easily accessible?
___ N/A
Is the workplace arranged so that
___ Yes
workers can maintain a good working
2.8 ___ No
posture while performing necessary
___ N/A
movements to conduct routine tasks?
Can operators/maintenance workers
safely perform all required routine /
emergency actions, considering the ___ Yes
2.9 physical arrangement of equipment (e.g., ___ No
access to equipment, or proximity of ___ N/A
tasks to rotating equipment, hot surfaces,
hazardous discharge points)?
Are normal and emergency operations
___ Yes
within the physical capabilities of
2.10 ___ No
operators (none require excessive force
___ N/A
by the operator)?
Has the operator's mobility been
___ Yes
considered in determining what
2.11 ___ No
protective gear is required for certain
___ N/A
tasks, including emergency response?
 WORKSITE HUMAN FACTORS CHECKLIST

Section 2: Accessibility / Availability of Equipment

Are valves that require urgent manual ___ Yes
2.12 adjustments (e.g., emergency shutdown) ___ No
easily identifiable and readily accessible? ___ N/A

Is there adequate access for routine ___ Yes

2.13 operation and maintenance of all ___ No
equipment? ___ N/A

Are all controls and indications suitable ___ Yes

2.14 to the range of individuals who will use ___ No
the controls? ___ N/A

___ Yes
Is the control room adequately located
2.15 ___ No
relative to the process?
___ N/A

Is the equipment arranged in a logical ___ Yes

2.16 manner consistent with populational ___ No
stereotypes? ___ N/A
 WORKSITE HUMAN FACTORS CHECKLIST

Section 3: Component Labeling

Item Question Response Comments
Is all important equipment (vessels, ___ Yes
3.1 pipes, valves, instruments, controls, etc.) ___ No
clearly and unambiguously labeled? ___ N/A
Does the labeling program include
___ Yes
components (e.g., small valves) that are
3.2 ___ No
mentioned in the procedures even if they
___ N/A
are not assigned an equipment number?
___ Yes
Are plant instruments and controls
3.3 ___ No
clearly labeled?
___ N/A

___ Yes
3.4 Are the labels accurate? ___ No
___ N/A

___ Yes
Do the labels conform to populational
3.5 ___ No
stereotypes?
___ N/A

Do the labels provide sufficient ___ Yes

3.6 information to unambiguously identify ___ No
the equipment? ___ N/A

___ Yes
Do the labels correspond to the
3.7 ___ No
procedures and drawings?
___ N/A

Is the responsibility for maintaining and ___ Yes

3.8 updating the labels clearly assigned to an ___ No
individual? ___ N/A

Are emergency exit and response signs ___ Yes

3.9 (including wind socks) adequately visible ___ No
and easily understood? ___ N/A

___ Yes
Are emergency evacuation routes clearly
3.10 ___ No
marked?
___ N/A

Are signs that warn workers of hazardous ___ Yes

3.11 materials or conditions adequately visible ___ No
and easily understood? ___ N/A
 WORKSITE HUMAN FACTORS CHECKLIST

Section 4: Feedback / Displays

Item Question Response Comments
___ Yes
Are the displays arranged logically to
4.1 ___ No
match the expectations of the operators?
___ N/A

___ Yes
Are the displays adequately visible from
4.2 ___ No
all relevant working positions?
___ N/A

___ Yes
Is all significant operating information
4.3 ___ No
logically arranged?
___ N/A

___ Yes
4.4 Are related displays grouped together? ___ No
___ N/A

___ Yes
Do separate displays present similar
4.5 ___ No
information in a consistent manner?
___ N/A
Do the displays provide adequate
___ Yes
information to assess the status of the
4.6 ___ No
entire process as well as essential details
___ N/A
of individual systems?
___ Yes
Do the displays and indications support
4.7 ___ No
the procedural requirements?
___ N/A

___ Yes
Do the displays avoid excessive time
4.8 ___ No
sharing?
___ N/A

Have the operators made any ___ Yes

4.9 modifications to the displays, controls, or ___ No
equipment to better suit their needs? ___ N/A

___ Yes
Do the displays give prompt feedback for
4.10 ___ No
all operational actions?
___ N/A

Is adequate information about normal ___ Yes

4.11 and upset process conditions clearly ___ No
displayed? ___ N/A

Are the operators provided with enough ___ Yes

4.12 information to diagnose an upset ___ No
condition? ___ N/A
 WORKSITE HUMAN FACTORS CHECKLIST

Section 4: Feedback / Displays

Can the operators respond to upset/ ___ Yes
4.13 emergency conditions in a timely ___ No
manner? ___ N/A

___ Yes
4.14 Are the alarms displayed by priority? ___ No
___ N/A

___ Yes
Are critical safety alarms easily
4.15 ___ No
distinguishable from control alarms?
___ N/A

___ Yes
Is the number of alarms limited to no
4.16 ___ No
more than 10 in any 10-minute period?
___ N/A

___ Yes
Is an alarm summary permanently on
4.17 ___ No
display?
___ N/A

Is the use of colors in the displays ___ Yes

4.18 designed so that operators can quickly ___ No
identify alarm conditions? ___ N/A
Are nuisance alarms corrected and
___ Yes
redundant alarms eliminated as soon as
4.19 ___ No
practical to help prevent complacency
___ N/A
toward alarms?
___ Yes
4.20 Have all stale alarms been eliminated? ___ No
___ N/A
Have charts, tables, or graphs been
provided (or programmed into the ___ Yes
4.21 computer) to reduce the need for ___ No
operators to perform calculations as part ___ N/A
of the operation?
If operators are required to perform ___ Yes
4.22 calculations, are critical calculations ___ No
independently checked? ___ N/A

Does the computer check that values ___ Yes

4.23 entered by operators are within a valid ___ No
range? ___ N/A

___ Yes
Are instruments, displays, and controls
4.24 ___ No
promptly repaired after a malfunction?
___ N/A
 WORKSITE HUMAN FACTORS CHECKLIST

Section 4: Feedback / Displays

Do administrative features exist that
govern when instruments, displays, or ___ Yes
4.25 controls are deliberately disabled or ___ No
bypassed and that govern their return to ___ N/A
normal service at the appropriate time?
Does a formal mechanism exist for
correcting human factors deficiencies
___ Yes
identified by the operators (e.g.,
4.26 ___ No
modifications to the displays, controls, or
___ N/A
equipment to better meet operators’
needs)?
 WORKSITE HUMAN FACTORS CHECKLIST

Section 5: Controls
Item Question Response Comments
Is the layout of the consoles, controls, ___ Yes
5.1 and displays logical, consistent, and ___ No
effective? ___ N/A

___ Yes
5.2 Is access to all controls adequate? ___ No
___ N/A

___ Yes
Are the controls distinguishable,
5.3 ___ No
accessible and easy to use?
___ N/A

Do controls conform to strong

populational stereotypes (color, direction ___ Yes
5.4 of movement, etc.)? Do the control panel ___ No
layouts reflect the functional aspects of ___ N/A
the process or equipment?

Do the control panel layouts reflect the ___ Yes

5.5 functional aspects of the process or ___ No
equipment? ___ N/A

___ Yes
Does the control arrangement logically
5.6 ___ No
follow the normal sequence of operation?
___ N/A

___ Yes
Can operators safely intervene in
5.7 ___ No
computer-controlled processes?
___ N/A

___ Yes
Can process variables be adequately
5.8 ___ No
controlled with the existing equipment?
___ N/A

___ Yes
Do operators believe that the control
5.9 ___ No
logic and interlocks are adequate?
___ N/A

Is there sufficient time, adequate ___ Yes

5.10 feedback, and controls for personnel to ___ No
recover from errors? ___ N/A
Are automatic safety features provided ___ Yes
when a process upset requires rapid ___ No
5.11
response? ___ N/A
 WORKSITE HUMAN FACTORS CHECKLIST

Section 5: Controls
Are automatic safety features provided ___ Yes
when a process upset may be difficult to ___ No
5.12
diagnose due to complicated processing ___ N/A
of various information?
 WORKSITE HUMAN FACTORS CHECKLIST

Section 6: Procedures
Item Question Response Comments
___ Yes
Is a complete, current set of procedures
6.1 ___ No
available for workers to use?
___ N/A
Are procedures written for the right level
of knowledge and understanding by the ___ Yes
6.2 workers, considering their education, ___ No
background, experience, native language, ___ N/A
etc.?
Do the procedures cover all operational
___ Yes
modes in sufficient detail (startup,
6.3 ___ No
shutdown, upset conditions, operations,
___ N/A
standby, maintenance)?
___ Yes
Are the emergency procedures clearly
6.4 ___ No
written?
___ N/A

Can emergency procedures be ___ Yes

6.5 implemented safely (without creating ___ No
new risks)? ___ N/A

Do operators believe that the procedure ___ Yes

6.6 format and language are easy to follow ___ No
and understand? ___ N/A
Are safe operating limits documented,
___ Yes
providing consequences of deviating
6.7 ___ No
from limits and actions to take when
___ N/A
deviations occur?
Are the procedures accurate (i.e., do they ___ Yes
6.8 reflect the way in which the work is ___ No
actually performed)? ___ N/A

Is responsibility assigned for updating

the procedures, distributing revisions of ___ Yes
6.9 the procedures, and ensuring that ___ No
workers are using current revisions of the ___ N/A
procedures?
Are temporary notes or instructions
___ Yes
incorporated into revisions of written
6.10 ___ No
operating procedures as soon as
___ N/A
practical?
Do procedures address the personal
___ Yes
protective equipment required when
6.11 ___ No
performing routine and/or nonroutine
___ N/A
tasks?
 WORKSITE HUMAN FACTORS CHECKLIST

Section 6: Procedures
___ Yes
6.12 Are there initiation cues for the task? ___ No
___ N/A

___ Yes
Have the operators been trained on the
6.13 ___ No
meaning of the initiating cue?
___ N/A

___ Yes
Can the operator determine the current
6.14 ___ No
status of the system?
___ N/A
 WORKSITE HUMAN FACTORS CHECKLIST

Section 7: Staffing
Item Question Response Comments
Is the staffing level appropriate for all ___ Yes
7.1 modes of operation (normal, emergency, ___ No
etc.)? ___ N/A

Can additional staff (e.g. from other ___ Yes

7.2 areas or from off-site) be called in ___ No
quickly to help during emergencies? ___ N/A

Have the effects of shift duration and ___ Yes

7.3 rotation been considered in establishing ___ No
workloads? ___ N/A
Is the number of hours personnel work
during normal operations, startup, ___ Yes
7.4 turnarounds, or high production periods ___ No
limited so that worker safety and ___ N/A
performance are not adversely affected?
Is the number of extra hours an operator
___ Yes
must work if his or her relief fails to
7.5 ___ No
show up sufficiently limited so that
___ N/A
worker safety is not adversely affected?
Are provisions in place to limit the time a ___ Yes
7.6 worker spends in harsh environments ___ No
(i.e., too hot, too cold, confined space)? ___ N/A
Is the control room always occupied (i.e.,
___ Yes
assigned duties do not require the control
7.7 ___ No
room operator to be absent from the
___ N/A
control room)?
Are the number and frequency of manual
adjustments required during normal and
emergency operations limited so that ___ Yes
7.8 operators can make the adjustments ___ No
without a significant chance of ___ N/A
mistakes as a result of overwork or
stress?

Is the number of manual adjustments ___ Yes

7.9 during normal operations sufficient to ___ No
avoid mistakes as a result of boredom? ___ N/A
 WORKSITE HUMAN FACTORS CHECKLIST

Section 8: Training (Employees and Contractors)

Item Question Response Comments
___ Yes
Are new employees trained in the
8.1 ___ No
hazards of the processes?
___ N/A
Do operators and maintenance workers
receive adequate training in safely and ___ Yes
8.2 reliably performing their assigned tasks ___ No
before they are allowed to work without ___ N/A
direct supervision?
___ Yes
Does a periodic refresher training
8.3 ___ No
program exist?
___ N/A

Is special or refresher training provided ___ Yes

8.4 in preparation for an infrequently ___ No
performed operation? ___ N/A

When changes are made, are workers

trained in the new operation, including an ___ Yes
8.5 explanation of why the change was made ___ No
and how worker safety and performance ___ N/A
can be affected by the change?
Are operators and maintenance workers
___ Yes
trained to request assistance when they
8.6 ___ No
believe they need it to properly perform a
___ N/A
task?
Are operators trained to shut down the ___ Yes
8.7 process when in doubt about whether it ___ No
can continue to operate safely/properly? ___ N/A

Are operators and maintenance workers ___ Yes

8.8 trained to report near misses as part of ___ No
the incident investigation program? ___ N/A

Does operator and maintenance worker ___ Yes

8.9 training include training in appropriate ___ No
emergency response? ___ N/A
Do operators practice emergency
___ Yes
response under realistic conditions (i.e.,
8.10 ___ No
while wearing emergency protective
___ N/A
equipment, with emergency lighting)?
Do operators practice emergency
___ Yes
response during extreme environmental
8.11 ___ No
conditions (e.g., at night or when it is
___ N/A
very cold)?
 WORKSITE HUMAN FACTORS CHECKLIST

Section 8: Training (Employees and Contractors)

___ Yes
Are periodic emergency drills
8.12 ___ No
conducted?
___ N/A

___ Yes
Are emergency drills witnessed by
8.13 ___ No
observers and critiqued?
___ N/A
Are operators provided training for all
___ Yes
operational modes (startup, shutdown,
8.14 ___ No
upset conditions, operations, standby,
___ N/A
maintenance)?
 WORKSITE HUMAN FACTORS CHECKLIST

Section 9: General Human Factors Issues

Item Question Response Comments
Are communications best practices (e.g.,
___ Yes
repeat back, phonetic alphabet, etc.)
9.1 ___ No
followed to minimize communications
___ N/A
errors?

___ Yes
Has the human-process interface ever
9.2 ___ No
undergone a human factors analysis?
___ N/A

Is there a formal mechanism for ___ Yes

9.3 correcting human factors deficiencies ___ No
identified by the operators? ___ N/A

Are designers made aware of human ___ Yes

9.4 factors problems so they can improve ___ No
future designs? ___ N/A
Is the whole workplace arranged so the
___ Yes
workers can maintain a good working
9.5 ___ No
posture and perform a variety of
___ N/A
movements?
Have a sampling of incident investigation
___ Yes
reports resulted in the identification of
9.6 ___ No
root causes exclusively related to
___ N/A
management system weaknesses?
___ Yes
Does the site report at least 20 near
9.7 ___ No
misses for every loss event?
___ N/A
Are there any specific tasks currently
being performed at or near the baseline ___ Yes
9.8 human error rate, and will therefore ___ No
require protection layers beyond human ___ N/A
factors improvements?