A domain that has always held an attraction is Agriculture, and even more so with the development of technology that is being utilised to enable fewer people on a farm to do a lot more. From GPS enabled tractors to the use of IOT technology to ensure the soil and water have exactly what is needed and when, as well as being able to predict weather windows for fertilising the land and harvesting crops. But its also a dangerous environment, with heavy machinery that is focused on cutting, mulching, squashing and shredding as well as simple things like pitch forks and animals that can do unpredictable things. Jill Poots, joined Barry to have a chat and give some insights into Human Factors in Agriculture.

Working from home has been a necessity throughout the pandemic, but now the idea of Hybrid Working is the "new normal". As we move from necessity to normal, we should also be moving from the dining room chair to something that is going to properly sup...

Culture is something that influences everything we do, so having the right culture can really make or break a business.  in this episode, Barry interview James Hayton, the Human Factors and Safety Culture lead at Baines Simmons Ltd (https://www.bainessimmons.com/). The discussion looks at what a Just Culture is all about, and how empowering your workforce to say what they think can have real benefits to the bottom line.  James talks through the steps involved and how it should be implemented. To contact James, his linked in is here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-hayton-55865057 Within this, James mentions a FAIR flowchart - this can be found here: https://www.bainessimmons.com/aviation-consulting-services/smarrt-tools/fair-system/fair-system-download/

One of the areas where Human Factors is getting more traction is within the Healthcare sector.  It is still a slow burner though with lots more work to be done, and this is getting more urgent as new technologies are available to make procedures and processes better and potentially support more effective patient outcomes. Dr Mark Sujan has taken this challenge head on by launching the Artificial Intelligence and Digital Health Special Interest Group with the CIEHF.  In this episode, we find out more about Mark and his motivations, as well as what his intentions for the SIG are. The Link to Marks LinkedIn is here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-sujan-951202185 And his consultancy, Human Factors Everywhere is here: http://humanfactorseverywhere.com/

Many practitioners believe that working on Trials and Assessments, where equipment and systems that have been designed and developed are tested with users, are some of the most enjoyable parts of being involved in Human Factors.  You get to see kit actually being used and getting feedback, both positive and negative, and discussing with them what can be done to improve the product.   Vicki Wall is a Fellow of the CIEHF, and has over 20 years experience of being a practitioner, primarily in the defence sector where she has participated and led a wide variety of trials and assessments.  In this episode, we discuss the differences between industrial assessments and academic trials, as well as the key things to remember as well as where to go for tools and techniques to use.  We also talk about how she got into Human Factors via a newspaper advert which kick-started a career which currently sees her at BAE Systems.  One of the references we talk about is the Human Factors Methods book, by Stanton et al - can be found on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Human-Factors-Methods-Neville-Stanton/dp/1409457540  Vicki also wrote an article in the Ergonomist in 2018 (No. 568), where she talks about how HF has impacted military aviation.

Susan Buckle is the Education and Outreach Manager at the UK Space Agency.   This is on the back of an enviable career at the European Space Agency.  In this interview she talks about the role of Human Factors in astronaut  training, working with Tim Peake, and using Space as a motivation to get more young people into STEM and STEAM subjects. Susan's LinkedIn profile is here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanbuckle1

This episode looks at the issues surrounding the application of Human Factors in the Nuclear Industry. Barry talks with Grant Hudson, the Head of Human Factors at Cavendish Nuclear. He finds out more about Grants career, ambitions as well as looking in detail at the challenges of delivering HF in the Civil Nuclear environment. Most interestingly we discover what he wants to do with a Washing Machine. Grants Linkedin profile : https://www.linkedin.com/in/grantpublic1

In this episode, Barry starts exploring how Human Factors techniques are being used, perhaps where we don't expect. Taking the interview complexity up a notch, he interviews both Phil Nutley and Chris Avis from CCD Design & Ergonomics. They are utilising both Service Design and Human Factors, taking the best of the tools and methods from both disciplines to deliver positive user experiences. This interview explores how both came from different backgrounds to their current roles, and how the crossover of disciplines delivers for clients and users. Both Phil and Chris can be contacted via email at Hello@DesignbyCCD.com or at https://www.designbyccd.com/

With the calling of a General Election, Barry looks back at some research he started after the 2017 General Election, where he explored the notion that voting intention could be…