| Semester 1, 2023 Online | |
| Units : | 1 |
| School or Department : | School of Business |
| Grading basis : | Graded |
| Course fee schedule : | /current-students/administration/fees/fee-schedules |
Staffing
Course Coordinator:
Overview
Aircraft accident and incident data has consistently shown that around 70% of all accidents and incidents are caused by humans performing sub-optimally. Safety management systems are now mandatory in aviation in most developed countries and have replaced quality management systems as a data-driven means for identifying safety risks, for promoting safety, and for training employees in evidence based areas of safety concerns. Within the processes of an SMS, human factors training is administered at an umbrella level. Human factors training aims to equip staff with the knowledge, skills and attitudes, to enable them to safely perform within the pressures of a dynamic and high-risk environment.
In this course students wishing to enter the aviation industry in a managerial or supervisory capacity will acquire an in-depth knowledge of human behaviour and performance limitations and the ensuing risks to safety caused by such breakdowns. They will learn to understand the systemic processes in place to mitigate for human performance failures within an aviation system, and to understand the sources of data which drive risk mitigation strategies appropriate for a high risk industry. A range of non-technical skills will be examined as part of the course.
Course learning outcomes
On successful completion of this course students should be able to:
- explain in detail the components of a safety management system (SMS) and the systematic processes used to gather data for use in ethically improving safety within an SMS;
- describe the concept of risk and how it is managed within safety management systems in aviation;
- explain the relationship between human factors training and an SMS;
- identify the fundamental concepts in the aviation human factors topics of human information processing, situational awareness, decision making;
- formulate the fundamental concepts in the aviation human factors topics of communication, workload management, stress and fatigue management, leadership and teamwork in aviation;
- evaluate and communicate in writing how human factors training is integrated across several safety critical areas within an organisation.
Topics
| Description | Weighting(%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Introduction to safety management systems (SMS) and the use of data for improving safety | 5.00 |
| 2. | Managing risk in aviation | 10.00 |
| 3. | SMS and human factors training | 10.00 |
| 4. | Human information processing, situational awareness and decision making | 15.00 |
| 5. | Communication, workload management, stress and fatigue management | 15.00 |
| 6. | Leadership and teamwork in aviation | 15.00 |
| 7. | Integrating human factors training across organisations | 30.00 |
Text and materials required to be purchased or accessed
Student workload expectations
To do well in this subject, students are expected to commit approximately 10 hours per week including class contact hours, independent study, and all assessment tasks. If you are undertaking additional activities, which may include placements and residential schools, the weekly workload hours may vary.
Assessment details
| Description | Group Assessment |
Weighting (%) | Course learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online forums | No | 10 | 2 |
| Critique (written) | No | 40 | 1,2 |
| Report | No | 50 | 1,2,3,4,5,6 |