Human Factors & Ergonomics (HFE) Hub

Heather Kahle talks with Sharon Todd about her work, her manual handling projects and the tools that she uses. As a Human Factors consultant and previous president of the Association of Canadian Ergonomists, Heather helps companies apply human organizational performance/human factors and ergonomics principles and methods. In 30 years with WorkSafeBC, she applies experience with investigations, MSI prevention, and error mitigation across many diverse industries.Heather's  journey into the world of Human Factors (HF) and System Safety began in the picturesque town of Lund, Sweden, where she earned my MSc from Lund University.Three Decades at WorkSafeBCFor three decades, Heather had the privilege of working at WorkSafeBC, where her role spanned across various pivotal functions:   - Educator and Mentor: I educated investigators, applied scientific methods, and mentored officers in conducting complex and serious industrial investigations.   -HFE Expertise: Provided human factors and ergonomics (HFE) expertise to multidisciplinary teams across engineering, investigations, education, and prevention field services.   - Developer and Deliverer: Developed and delivered courses, webinars, and workshops to enhance understanding and application of methodologies such asAppreciative Inquiry, Cognitive Interviewing, Fatigue Risk Management, and Human-Machine Interface to prevent struck-by incidents.   - Risk Project Leader: Led and supported risk-based projects applying systems methodologies to review performance, understand vertical risk integration, and develop effective preventative measures.   - Tool Creator: Developed tools to assess organizational readiness, compliance, and performance.   - Regulatory Advisor: Advised on regulation development relating to safety-critical work and systems theory, including Incident Command systems.   - Risk Analyst: Reviewed risk factors related to musculoskeletal injuries, error traps, and communication factors across a wide range of industries.   - Author: Authored technical reports, bulletins, risk assessment materials, and safety issues reviews, making complex information accessible to wide audiences.   - Standard Contributor: Participated in CSA Standards Z1005 - Incident Investigation and Prevention Program, Z1516 – Fatigue Risk Management for First Responders, and the CSA Express Document; Human and OrganizationalPerformance for Optimal Pipeline Performance.-    Collaborator: Assisted employers, health & safety agencies, and other regulatory stakeholders with developing, integrating, maintaining, and evaluating system safety strategies.This educational podcast is brought to you by the Human Factors and Ergonomic Society of Australia. If you like this podcast please make us your favourite on your podcast app. If you want to find out more about Human Factors and Ergonomics or if you have a question about this podcast please go to the HFESA website ergonomics.org.au and make your request via our contact page. We will be back with more episodes soon!

Sharon Todd chats to Dr Puji Silva a mechanical and medical engineer about his work and research into litigation injury data. Puji primarily works in ergonomic risk assessments and litigation matters related to permanent injury in both workplace and public liability cases, applying his expertise in biomechanics, human factors, and safety design principles to improve workplace outcomes and legal evaluations.Dr. Pujitha Silva is a mechanical and medical engineer with extensive experience in human biomechanics, ergonomics, and injury prevention. His career spans over 15 years across industries such as healthcare, bulk material systems handling, wearable technology applications in sports and rehabilitation, and biomedical device development, where he has applied ergonomic principles and human factors research to optimize workplace safety and system performance. He is also a litigation consultant, researcher, and certified organizational coach, with a deep interest in the intersection of ergonomics, injury data analysis, and workplace safety strategies. Dr. Silva is currently an Ergonomics Consultant where he specializes in:Ergonomic risk assessments & workplace safety solutions to mitigate musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and prevent injuries.Expert litigation reports for workplace injuries (manual handling, slips/trips/falls, and system failures).Implementation of Work Health and Safety (WHS) compliance strategies in Victoria and NSW.Developing human-centered design solutions to enhance safety in industrial and commercial environments.Data-driven research on injury trends, including a landmark 40-year analysis of litigation injury cases, presented at the HFESA 2024 National Conference.The pursuit of a Bachelor’s in Medical Engineering was the start of Puji’s journey into understanding how the human body works and how it can be studied using engineering principles borrowed from various disciplines, differently from traditional medical approaches. This curiosity led him to the study of biomechanics, particularly focusing on the interactions of soft and hard tissues, their degeneration, and injury mechanisms. His early research included intervertebral disc mechanics and non-invasive spinal stress measurement, providing insights into how biomechanical factors influence injury risk and degeneration. However, his career took a turn when he transitioned into port and infrastructure engineering, focusing on mechanical system design. This work introduced him to the critical interactions between machines and people, deepening his understanding of industrial safety and human-system integration.This shift broadened his perspective on human factors and ergonomics, leading him to focus on performance-based biomechanics, which naturally incorporated human interactions with the environment—spanning industrial ergonomics, sports performance, rehabilitation, and biomedical device development and commercialization with a human-centric approach.This educational podcast is brought to you by the Human Factors and Ergonomic Society of Australia. If you like this podcast please make us your favourite on your podcast app. If you want to find out more about Human Factors and Ergonomics or if you have a question about this podcast please go to the HFESA website ergonomics.org.au and make your request via our contact page. We will be back with more episodes soon!

Dr Vanessa Huron discusses the use of drones in various environments and the human factors aspects of drone use. Dr Vanessa Huron holds a Bachelor of Science (First Class Honours) in Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Diploma in Innovation Management and a PhD in Microbiology from the University of New South Wales.Vanessa's research focuses on human factors and safety, accessibility management, and educational design and delivery applied across several domains, includingPsychosocial hazards and work re-designSafety and risk managementEducational design, delivery, and digital technologiesVanessa is an Associate of the Disability Innovation Institute, which seeks to support disability research and foster collaboration at UNSW.This educational podcast is brought to you by the Human Factors and Ergonomic Society of Australia. If you like this podcast please make us your favourite on your podcast app. If you want to find out more about Human Factors and Ergonomics or if you have a question about this podcast please go to the HFESA website ergonomics.org.au and make your request via our contact page. We will be back with more episodes soon!

In this engaging conversation, Professor Sidney Dekker, a safety scientist and author, shares his insights on organizational safety and the concept of a 'restorative just culture.' He delves into the detrimental effects of blame in the workplace and advocates for a shift towards understanding systemic errors. Sidney emphasizes the importance of making leaders servant stewards who prioritize frontline workers’ needs and outlines practical steps for fostering a culture of learning and compassion. His vision includes addressing post-COVID occupational violence with innovative, empathetic approaches.

The HFESA president Kath Jones is chatting to Ari Antonovsky about his work on Human factors and 'Human Dependability.'Dr Antonovsky was originally trained as a Materials Engineer.  Through his role as a Reliability Engineer in the resource industry in Australia, Indonesia and NZ, he became involved in working directly with maintenence and operations crews.  His interest in human factors and the organiastional aspects of maintenance lead to PhD research at Curtin University, sponsored by Woodside Energy Ltd.  This project examined the quantitative influence of specific human factors on the reliability of maintenance tasks.His recent UWA research projects, funded by the Royal Australian Navy, examined the human factors requirements in operations, maintenance and training for the Future Submarine, and the human factors that influence maintenance effectiveness on a surface vessel.Dr Antonovsky is currently project leader for revision of an international standard (IEC 62508), which  provides guidance on the human aspects of workplace dependability.This educational podcast is brought to you by the Human Factors and Ergonomic Society of Australia. If you like this podcast please make us your favourite on your podcast app. If you want to find out more about Human Factors and Ergonomics or if you have a question about this podcast please go to the HFESA website ergonomics.org.au and make your request via our contact page. We will be back with more episodes soon!

In this engaging discussion, Stephanie Black, a Programs and Policy manager specializing in workplace wellbeing and diversity in the resources sector, shares her insights. She unveils a Mental Health Maturity Assessment Tool aimed at organizations, emphasizing the importance of peer learning over top-down approaches. Stephanie highlights the challenges of cognitive demand in the workplace, offering practical solutions like nap rooms. She also explores transformative megatrends affecting jobs and skills, predicting a rising need for human factors expertise in navigating the complexities of modern work.

Paul Lambertson and Sharon Todd chat about his experience in Flight Deck design and his use of Systems Theoretical Process Analysis (STPA) (Levenson & Thomas 2018).Paul Lambertson has been in the aerospace industry for over twenty years and in that time he has had a focus on human to machine interface for the design and operations of flight decks. He has had lead projects on all of Boeings current commercial aircraft and has been fortunate to lead many teams.  These team include human factors and ergonomics, test and evaluation, Optics and lighting and human system integration and strategy. Paul currently leads a team for flight deck product development for simulation and strategy. He is currently a Cochair of the INCOSE Human System Integration working group. Paul has been interested in the human to machine interfaces since he first flew  aircraft as a young kid ,  As a kid He was engaged in improving aircraft interfaces. This developed into a passion for improving the human interfaces.  His first major human interface activity was in the automotive industry working to understand noise, vibration and handling from a user perspective.  Paul took these skills to the aircraft industry. He is a pilot, has a Bachelor’s of Science in Mechanical Engineering a Master’s in Business Administration and several certificates related to systems engineering, technology, ergonomics and human factors.This educational podcast is brought to you by the Human Factors and Ergonomic Society of Australia. If you like this podcast please make us your favourite on your podcast app. If you want to find out more about Human Factors and Ergonomics or if you have a question about this podcast please go to the HFESA website ergonomics.org.au and make your request via our contact page. We will be back with more episodes soon!

Chris Polaczuk and Steve Kolose chat to Sharon Todd about their participative tradie programme.Musculoskeletal injuries have resulted in significant lost productivity in the New Zealand Construction industry and are especially prevalent in the specialist trades. Despite recent advances in health, safety and technology meaningful interventions to reduce these injuries in construction remain elusive. To compound the issue pain and injury has been accepted as part of the trade and an inevitability by many kiwi tradies. The Work Should Not Hurt programme https://www.chasnz.org/work-should-not-hurt  is unique in that it  generates awareness, research and interventions from tradespeople themselves. Combining an Ergonomics approach and a bit of ‘number eight wire mentality’ the programme has created innovative tools such as the Foundation guide, the ‘Wall of Pain’, 3 steps to a pain free career and a mind/ body mental fitness programme.Join the world's only Kiwi duo of Construction Ergonomists Chris Polaczuk and Dr Steve Kolose for a look at the programme and whats working well in New Zealand. Learn about their library of home grown resources including some of the participative research projects such as the scaffolding and roofing industry trials. Hear about the benefits and challenges of participatory ergonomics and how you can take on a macho culture to improve the design of work.This educational podcast is brought to you by the Human Factors and Ergonomic Society of Australia. If you like this podcast please make us your favourite on your podcast app. If you want to find out more about Human Factors and Ergonomics or if you have a question about this podcast please go to the HFESA website ergonomics.org.au and make your request via our contact page. We will be back with more episodes soon!

Professor Catherine Burns talks to SharonTodd (CPE) about her experiences with system design and AI systems in health.Catherine M. Burns is Professor in Systems Design Engineering at the University of Waterloo, Canada and Associate Vice President, Health Initiatives at the Office of Research at the University of Waterloo.In her past administrative roles she has been engaged with institutional and tri agency funding programs, research partnerships, Waterloo’s equity in research action plan, and research computing.Catherine was the founder of the Centre for Bioengineering and Biotechnology at Waterloo and led the centre from a faculty to an institutional centre over 8 years. In 2020 she chaired Waterloo’s Health Initiatives Task force to develop a health strategy in response to Waterloo’s 2025 Strategic Plan. In her role as AVP, Health Initiatives she is responsible for advancing Waterloo research in health and health technology. Catherine holds a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Human Factors and Healthcare Systems, has contributed over 300 publications and is the co-author of seven books and the PI on an NSERC CREATE Training program in biomedical technology and entrepreneurship which has trained over 40 graduate students from various faculties across campus.This educational podcast is brought to you by the Human Factors and Ergonomic Society of Australia. If you like this podcast please make us your favourite on your podcast app. If you want to find out more about Human Factors and Ergonomics or if you have a question about this podcast please go to the HFESA website ergonomics.org.au and make your request via our contact page. We will be back with more episodes soon!

Sharon Todd is chatting to Adjunct Professor Kate Conroy one of the HFESA's Keynote speakers at our annual  conference in Brisbane this year.Dr Kate Conroy is a specialist in building trustworthy, ethical, and assured robotics, autonomous systems, and artificial Intelligence (RAS-AI) systems in both military and civilian domains. Dr Conroy works in AI Safety and Assurance Queensland Government and is Responsible AI Lead Royal Australian Air Force. With a PhD in philosophy from Rutgers University, specialising in epistemology, cognitive science and applied ethics, she is also Adjunct Professor at QUT Centre for Robotics and Associate Professor Human-centred computing at the University of Queensland. She speaks today in her personal capacity.This educational podcast is brought to you by the Human Factors and Ergonomic Society of Australia. If you like this podcast please make us your favourite on your podcast app. If you want to find out more about Human Factors and Ergonomics or if you have a question about this podcast please go to the HFESA website ergonomics.org.au and make your request via our contact page. We will be back with more episodes soon!