ABSTRACT
Human factors knowledge and skills started to be properly introduced into the maritime domain in the 1990s. The inspiration for this was mainly due to the successful introduction of human factors training in aviation in the 1980s. There was a tendency to focus on specific human factors issues, for example, fatigue, in which particular interest was given to this by the International Maritime Organization. Maritime human factors systems and processes are being developed largely on the basis of similar practices in aviation, defense, and nuclear power plants. Human factors knowledge and skills are employed in many safety-critical domains including railways, road transport, oil and gas production, and hospitals. The underlying assumption was that crew behavior can be changed through training and acquisition of knowledge, which included an increased awareness about human factors. The designer and human factors experts worked together observing the experiments, taking notes for improving the design.
