TY - CHAP

T1 - Evaluating the effectiveness of a human factors training

T2 - focus an situation awareness

AU - Marquardt, Nicki

AU - Robelski, Swantje

AU - Jenkins, Gwen

AU - Höger, Rainer

PY - 2009

Y1 - 2009

N2 - This paper presents the evaluation of a human factors training specifically designed for employees in manufacturing within the automotive industry. The central objective of this training program was to increase the workers situational awareness about potential errors that can occur during the production process. According to Endsley (1995) situation awareness encompasses three levels: the perception of elements in the environment, the comprehension of their meaning for the current situation and the projection of current states into the future. Various tools were used to improve the workers three levels of situation awareness. Specifically, a flicker paradigm and a structure formation technique were adjusted and used to train the perception, comprehension and projection of errors at various stages within the production process. Seventy employees, all of which were working in a production unit for gearbox manufacturing, participated in the training program of this study. All workers and their direct supervisors had to answer general questionnaires and take task-specific tests for measuring the workers degree of situational awareness one month prior to and after, as well as six months after the training Session. The results showed a significant increase of the workers situational awareness after the training. At the end of this paper recommendations for future research in the Field of human factors training are made.

AB - This paper presents the evaluation of a human factors training specifically designed for employees in manufacturing within the automotive industry. The central objective of this training program was to increase the workers situational awareness about potential errors that can occur during the production process. According to Endsley (1995) situation awareness encompasses three levels: the perception of elements in the environment, the comprehension of their meaning for the current situation and the projection of current states into the future. Various tools were used to improve the workers three levels of situation awareness. Specifically, a flicker paradigm and a structure formation technique were adjusted and used to train the perception, comprehension and projection of errors at various stages within the production process. Seventy employees, all of which were working in a production unit for gearbox manufacturing, participated in the training program of this study. All workers and their direct supervisors had to answer general questionnaires and take task-specific tests for measuring the workers degree of situational awareness one month prior to and after, as well as six months after the training Session. The results showed a significant increase of the workers situational awareness after the training. At the end of this paper recommendations for future research in the Field of human factors training are made.

KW - Business psychology

M3 - Contributions to collected editions/anthologies

SN - 978-90-423-0373-7

SN - 9042303735

SP - 101

EP - 110

BT - Human factors, security and safety

A2 - Waard, Dick de

A2 - Godthelp, Hans J.

A2 - Kooi, Frank

A2 - Brookhuis, Karel

PB - Shaker Publishing

CY - Maastricht

ER -