Human Factors Manifesto
We all have an essential role to play when it comes to improving safety. Join the Human Factors Manifesto.
HUMAN FACTORS MANIFESTO
Improving Safety
Human Factors or simply ‘The Human Factor’ are terms that have been used within the outdoor sector for some time. For many, they are associated with the performance of mountain professionals in avalanche terrain.
Summer or winter, activities in the mountains are delivered by people. Professionals who make sure that things go well the vast majority of the time, even when faced with changeable weather and conditions.
The mountains remain a potentially risky place to work. If you are reading this as a mountain professional, you may feel this more than most.
You are after all tuned into the hazards that you experience in the mountains. We all have an essential role to play when it comes to improving safety, and that is what the Human Factors Manifesto is about.
WHAT IS THE AIM
Goals of the Human Factors Manifesto
- Encourage the development of Human Factors tools and behaviours in the outdoor sector. To reduce the likelihood of accidents and increase safety.
- Encourage greater use of Human Factors principles to help mountain professionals do the right thing, in the right place at the right time, with the right people.
ALIGN TO
Four Commitments
Commit
A commitment to develop the skills for optimum performance.
These are…
Non-technical Skills. The social and cognitive skills that are required alongside mountaineering skills for optimum performance. Situational awareness, decision-making, leadership, teamwork, communication, cognitive readiness and task management.
Embed
To embed Human Factors principles into day to day work from the ground up.
For example
Encouraging the use of clear communication and better briefing to ensure that tasks are completed in an integrated manner.
Support
Support other mountain professionals who have been involved in incidents and accidents.
Details
When reviewing events do so with reflection and learning in mind, without attaching blame or malice.
Accept
Using a Human Factors lens means accepting and considering different perspectives of work in the mountains.
Details
What people are being asked to do (the task and its characteristics), who is doing it (the individual and their competence) and where they are working (the organisation and its attributes).
The Human Factors Manifesto is a set of commitments made by people. These people are most likely to be mountain professionals or their employers, who believe in developing skills to improve the safety of their teams and clients.
Sign up to the Human Factors Manifesto…
Who is the Human Factors Manifesto for?
Mountain professionals – individual Mountaineering Instructors, Mountain Guides and associated business, companies and providers.
What the Human Factors Manifesto isn’t
Accreditation, a code of practice, qualification or kitemark. Neither is the Human Factors Manifesto attempting to be any sort of association or union.
Sign up to the Human Factors Manifesto
If you think that Human Factors are important to the work of mountain professionals then consider signing up to the manifesto. In doing so you are aligning to the four commitments above. You will be listed [here] and you are welcome to share the HF Manifesto logo which will be sent via email. Please don’t be anonymous, please demonstrate your support. If you are including an organisation, company or provider when signing up this will also be listed, so please do check that you have the authority to do so.
For organisations who wish to sign up, please get in contact so that we can ensure that you are listed properly.
Most importantly the spread of these ideas does not happen by chance, they rely on people. People that are prepared to demonstrate their support and commitment, especially in the outdoor community where we work from the ground up.
Download PDF?
If you would prefer to download the Human Factors Manifesto as a PDF, you can do so here.