About Us
Human Factors and Operational Safety
Because many, if not most accidents are caused, all or in part, by someone’s error, an understanding of human factors and human error causation is critical. Human Factors, the scientific study of the interaction of machines and the people who operate them, also referred to ergonomics and human-machine interaction, refer to the study of the interaction of machines and their human operators. As transportation systems have become increasingly automated and complex, understanding human factors has become even more important to operational safety.
Human error is an erroneous system outcome, whereas human factors addresses system and human operator interaction. A transportation accident, regardless of the cause, is a failure of operational safety, while an machine operator tripping and falling is an example of a failure of occupational safety. To fully understand the influence of human factors on operational safety, one should have expertise in human factors. Dr. Strauch is an emeritus member of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, has published several articles on human factors and transportation safety in the journal Human Factors, and has numerous several at scientific conferences around the world.
In his career Dr. Strauch has focused on such critical human factors issues as machine design, hardware and software development, highway display, operator fatigue, operator impairment, vehicle and operator conspicuity, team performance, operator training, procedural adequacy, operating manual efficacy, and corporate and regulator oversight, to name a few. He has written extensively about critical human factors and safety issues and is fully knowledgeable on current scientific approach to examine human factors and operational safety. He has written on corporate culture and safety culture for the journal Safety Science, on machine complexity in multiple transportation modes for the journal Human Factors, and on decision making errors and accident investigation for the Journal of Cognitive Engineering and Decision Making. He also served as an adjunct professor teaching a graduate level course on human error at George Mason University.”Dr. Strauch has many experts in engineering and other fields who can be available to assist in any work that Strauch Associates may undertake.”
Barry Strauch, PhD
Strauch Associates, LLC
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
PhD from Pennsylvania State University
Over 33 years’ experience as an investigator and supervisory investigator at the National Transportation Safety Board
Led or participated in the investigation of accidents in all major transportation modes around the world.
Wrote widely-used textbook on human error investigations
Wrote several articles on human factors and safety in well respected peer reviewed scientific journals.
Presented papers at government and scientific conferences around the world
Designed, developed, and taught at National Transportation Safety Board investigator training for aviation and marine accident investigators
Taught accident investigation techniques and human factors to government and industry around the world.