HUMAN FACTORS AUDIT:FINAL THOUGHTS ON HUMAN FACTORS AUDITS

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FINAL THOUGHTS ON HUMAN FACTORS AUDITS

An audit system is a specialized methodology for evaluating the ergonomic status of an organization at a point in time. In the form presented here, it follows auditing practices in the accounting field, and indeed in such other fields as safety. Data is collected, typically with a checklist, analyzed, and presented to the organization for action. In the final analysis, it is the action that is important to human factors engineers, as the colliery example above shows. Such actions could be taken using other methodologies, such as active redesign by job incumbents (Wilson 1994); audits are only one method of tackling the problems of manufacturing and service industries. But as Drury (1991) points

out, industry’s moves towards quality are making it more measurement driven. Audits fit naturally into modern management practice as measurement, feedback, and benchmarking systems for the human factors function.

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