The Advanced Procedures Research Initiative is being conducted by a multidisciplinary team comprised of Texas A&M University researchers from the Mary Kay O’Connor Process Safety Center (MKOPSC; a
part of TEES) and the Ergonomics Center (ErgoCenter; a part of School of Public Health).
Process Safety
The process safety team helps guides our efforts based on the current best practices of process safety and leverages MKOPSC’s expansive connection with Industry.
Multidisciplinary
We are uniquely equipped to address the complex problems of procedure use in high-risk industrial settings with our combination of resources and expertise of process safety from MKOPSC and human factors/ergonomics from ErgoCenter.
Human Factors
The human factors team focuses on how procedures can help operators complete their work safely and efficiently by taking into consideration the user,task, and environment.
Research Project Information and Goals
Effective procedure systems consists of procedures that are:
- Clearly written and easy to follow
- Easily Accessible
- Accurate
- Up-to-date
- Used effectively
- Designed to accommodate the user, task, and environment
Effective procedure system promote:
- Effectiveness
- Efficiency
- Safety
However, the method for developing and maintaining all of the necessary elements of an effective procedure system are not completely understood. This may account for the number of incidents associated with procedural problems.
Writer’s Guide : The first project of the Advanced Procedures Initiative is the development of an empirically based writer’s guide. The Writer’s Guide incorporates findings from human performance and human factors research to provide evidence-based guidelines for procedure development. This effort will advance the comprehension, compliance, and use of procedures particularly in high-risk industrial settings.
