To help your organization achieve the goal of “managing” human error, SCSI’s latest workshop, HEAP, addresses this critical task. HEAP is a practical, case-study-based human factors course that focuses on understanding the causal chain and then how to develop and implement effective mitigation and prevention strategies.

A key objective of an effective SMS is to identify and control the hazards and threats to the operation. Like the doctor who must diagnose the illness before writing the prescription, candidates will be taken through a series of case studies to develop their ‘diagnostic’ skill sets; additionally we will also focus on how to develop and ‘prescribe’ prevention strategies that will move the organization towards consistently operating at an acceptable level of risk. The case studies will provide a balanced perspective of personal and organizational issues that reflect the reality of today’s complex operation in aviation, a truly high consequence industry. Our goal is to turn the theory into practice.

There is a great adage in aviation safety that speaks volumes: “If you think safety is expensive, just try the cost of an accident!” As we evolve and develop the concept of Safety Management Systems (SMS) throughout the aviation industry, the one constant that remains a global challenge is human error. Currently, research indicates that more than 80% of aviation related accidents and incidents are caused by human error; moreover the number does not seem to be going down and some argue that the percentage can only go up as technology improves!

HEAP is designed to be interactive and hands-on. It is case study based with numerous cases to illustrate the topics covered. In essence, HEAP is a practical human factors course for a Safety Management System to assist you and your organization evolve a learning culture.

This practical, hands-on, case-study-style workshop is designed for Safety Professionals, Managers and Regulators who are in the process of implementing an SMS or oversee SMS implementation by operators, as well as any who anticipate implementing an SMS in the near future who:

• Analyze human error safety data in their organization and provide advice/guidance to the Management Team
• Are involved in operations, dispatch, maintenance, air traffic control, aerodrome management, regulator, military, etc.
• Participate in or support occurrence/incident investigations with a focus on human factors
• Seek ways to reduce organizational financial losses associated with safety occurrences

Please Note: This course is a practical human factors workshop. Participants should have some background in the basic theories and principles of human factors prior to attending. A good source of this knowledge is the SCSI Organizational Change Workshop or other courses that emphasize human factors, threat and error management and organizational change.

Those individuals who take this course will:

• Develop both a theoretical and a practical understanding of human error
• Be able to take the theory of human performance and error and apply it to the daily workplace. While the ultimate goal is to accomplish the organizational mission, the true challenge of our day-to-day work is recognizing and mitigating the hazards and the consequential. This workshop develops and enhances the skill sets to meet these challenges
• How to develop, implement and utilize an occurrence reporting system that facilitates a ‘learning culture’
• How to develop, implement and utilize a hazard reporting system
• Risk Management techniques to enhanced operational effectiveness

This course is accepted by the Board of Certified Safety Professionals for Continuance of Certification credit. This course counts for the Certificate in Safety Management Systems granted by SCSI. SCSI will award 3.6 CEUs to each participant who successfully completes this course.

• Human Performance and Human Error
• Organizational Error
• Error Classification Systems
• Occurrence Reporting
• Hazard Reporting
• Risk Management of the Hazards
• Decision Making
• Communication Strategies
• Video Case Studies
• Workshop Case Studies

Taught at the DoubleTree Hotel on the waterfront in San Pedro in Southern California, the HEAP course consists of 4.5 days (36 hours) of instruction. Students receive lecture outlines, additional reference material and a Certificate of Completion. Classes begin daily at 0800 and end at noon on Friday.