Assessment item 3: Report
Due date: Review Week ASSESSMENT
Weighting: 40% 3
This problem solving activity will extend the work done in Assessment 2. There are three options
available to complete this assignment depending on your own circumstances and interests. You are
not limited a report format for these assessments, you may present your work in any format that suits
your needs.
PART A
You are required to:
1. Fully describe the event (this can be taken from assessment 2).
2. Identify significant components of the system/s relevant to the event (this can be taken from
assessment 2).
3. Analyse and research the potential human factors issues related to the event (this can be taken
from assessment 2).
4. OPTION 1: Apply HFACS to your event (Give specific attention to the topics studied in
Module 1 in relation to your accident).
a. Critique HFACS, in terms of its
i. usability;
ii. value in investigating human factors issues; and
iii. usefulness with regard to learning from the event to prevent any future event.
b. Discuss any recommendations you would make to the authors of HFACS to address
any limitations with the current tool.
OPTION 2: Consider the tools that you found that might be suitable for investigating your
event and the strengths and limitations of each tool. (Give specific attention to the topics
studied in Module 1 in relation to your accident).
a. Create a tool that would be useful to investigate the HF issues in your event (this
could be a hybrid of existing tools)
b. Justify the value of each element of your tool.
OPTION 3: Negotiate an alternate learning experience (that will derive a greater benefit to
you or your organisation) that could be evaluated using the same assessment evaluation
criteria used for the other options for this assignment.
PART B
… and in the end … some of the most important reflections of all:
1. Evaluate the contribution that organisational factors and safety culture had on accident
causation in relation to your event then reflect on the genesis of these HF issues and any shifts
of understanding that you may have had through study of systems/HF design in this course.
2. Reflect on any investigations that you (or others) have conducted previously and share any
new insights (‘ah ha’ moments) that you have had this term with regard to investigating the
genesis of any HF issues as causal factors.
3. Reflect on your professional practice into the future and share any planned changes to your
professional practice resulting from study of human factors investigation.