Affiliations: [a] Cidade Universitária, Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | [b] Instituto de Engenharia Nuclear, Cidade Universitária, Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: José Orlando Gomes, Av. Athos da Silveira Ramos, 274 CCMN - Prédio do NCE - Bloco C, Cidade Universitária, Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro - RJ - CEP: 21941-916, Brazil. Tel.: +55 2192758205; E-mail:joseorlando@nce.ufrj.br
Abstract:
BACKGROUND: Air transportation of personnel to offshore oil
platforms is one of the major hazards of this kind of endeavor. Pilot
performance is a key factor in the safety of the transportation system. OBJECTIVE: This study seeks to identify the ergonomic factors
present in pilots' activities that may in some way compromise or enhance
their performance, the constraints and affordances which they are subject
to; and where possible to link these to their associated risk factors METHODS: Methodology adopted in this project studies work in its
context. It is a merging of Activity Analysis (Guerin et al. 2001) of
European tradition with Cognitive Task Analysis (CTA - www.ctaresource.com)
articulated with the recent approaches to cognitive systems engineering
developed by Professors David Woods and Erik Hollnagel. Fifty-five hours of
field interviews provided the input for analysis. RESULTS: Sixteen ergonomic constraints were identified, some
cognitive, some physical, all considered relevant by the research subjects
and expert advisers CONCLUSIONS: Although the safety record of the personnel
transportation system studied is considered acceptable, there is low
hanging fruit to be picked which can help improve the system's safety.
