ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to provide a detailed analysis of work practices in one High-3 work environment: that of air traffic control (ATC) in order to map the features of this domain of work. High-3 work environments create, by definition, risky work practices. The notion of risk-taking and the aviation industry have historically been synonymous. The term 'High-3 work' describes practices that have high-technology, high-intensity and high-reliability characteristics. High-intensity work occurs in contexts that have time pressures and often with a strong sense of urgency. The intersection between the temporal flow of work and its complexity occurs through emergent variability. The temporal organization of work practice is implicated in increasing the possibility of near-misses and mistakes in a number of ways. Temporal responsiveness refers to the synchronicity between operator actions and the requirements of others in the air traffic system. ATC work is structured so that the temporal nature of experience is emphasized.
