Human Factors, Safety Management and Team Resource Management
The human in the system
Controllers face workload, fatigue, stress, situational awareness, decision-making and communication errors. Know the SHELL model (Software, Hardware, Environment, Liveware) and the concept of error vs violation. Safety management systems (SMS) rest on four pillars: safety policy, safety risk management, safety assurance, and safety promotion. Just culture distinguishes human error from reckless behaviour.
Team resource management
TRM covers communication, leadership, teamwork, workload management and briefing/debriefing. Traps: confusing situation awareness with vigilance, and forgetting that fatigue is a recognised safety hazard requiring reporting, not a personal failing.
Rule of thumb
When a question describes an accident chain, identify the latent condition (procedure, staffing, design) as well as the active error.
Worked example
A controller misses a conflict because of a late frequency change and high workload. The active error is the missed conflict; the latent conditions are the procedure and staffing. The SMS response is to fix the system, not to blame the individual.