GM3 ORGH.TRG.100(c) Training and assessment programme

HUMAN FACTORS AND HUMAN PERFORMANCE

(a) General elements guiding the design of training programmes to develop knowledge and skills in relation to human performance can be found in the Human Factors Training Manual (ICAO Doc 9683). However, it should be taken into account that the ICAO documents are not specifically based on the human factors in GH.

(b) Human factors training is intended to enhance attitudes conducive to safe and efficient GH operation. The development of soft skills such as those listed below increases the likelihood of the candidate successfully completing the training programme and acquire the desired competence:

(1) interpersonal, communication and language skills,

(2) ability to be a team player,

(3) ability to work well under pressure and manage stressful situations,

(4) capacity to focus and avoid distractions.

(c) Training to develop situational awareness addresses and mitigates the incorrect or inadequate perception of individuals in an aerodrome and GH operational environment. It also addresses the risks of complacency when performing routine/repetitive tasks.

Recognition of and knowledge about what constitutes a threat or a hazard in the operational environment is an essential part of deciding on the most appropriate action. This should be part of the initial and ongoing training for GH personnel, but reduced training opportunities and staffing or other resource issues can often mean that the personnel are not fully cognisant of the potential dangers of their working environment. At the other end of the continuum, longer‑serving personnel may find that the risk of working around aircraft has become normalised, creating a perception of familiarity and invulnerability.

There are many theories that explain how people perceive risks, and how they process risk information and make decisions or take actions based on that information, both consciously and unconsciously. The key findings from the literature that are relevant to GH activities are that:

(1) people are not good at estimating or evaluating risk;

(2) people who underestimate risk are more likely to take risks;

(3) people often overestimate their own capability or invulnerability and underestimate the severity of outcomes;

(4) the perception of risk becomes normalised over time.

(d) Training objectives: In order to take appropriate action in any given situation, the individuals are expected to:

(1) have a good understanding of the risks associated with working around aircraft;

(2) be able to accurately perceive risk — this involves providing a correct assessment of the likelihood and severity of the impact of a risk, which is subjective and is based on what people know and think (cognition), how they feel (emotion), and their experience, age and characteristics, and patterns of behaviour, as well as the environmental and socio‑cultural context;

(3) understand the impact of the working environment on the cognitive processing of risk information;

(4) understand the difference in individual risk appetite and perception and the normalisation of risk over time.