InterAction of Bath - A Provider of Human Factors and Manual Handling Training Courses

We deliver basic courses and train the trainer courses and we also design courses tailored to specific areas of Human Factors or to specific audiences.

Basic Human Factors training course

InterAction of Bath designed this one-day course to impart a basic understanding of Human Factors (HF). By the end of the course delegates can be expected to understand the core areas of HF and the potential improvements HF can make to safety and efficiency within work systems.

The first module defines HF, outlines its history and explains the levels at which it is applied, from the individual to the organisation. The second module takes a case study approach to seven high-profile industrial catastrophes and highlights the potential dangers of overlooking HF. These introductory modules lead the way to a consideration of the core areas of Human Factors, including human-computer interaction, task analysis, workstation design, environmental ergonomics and human reliability.

The course is designed for those requiring a working understanding of Human Factors. It will be relevant to delegates from across industry, including:

• Engineers and designers who make decisions which could affect the usability of a new or modified system
• Project managers and operations managers requiring an overview of HF for effective decision-making at all points in the project cycle
• Operators of machinery in process industries who wish to avoid musculoskeletal disorders and optimise their working conditions

On completion of this course, delegates will have a basic grounding in Human Factors on which they can build. They can be expected to be aware of the importance of a person-centred approach to equipment and environment design that will improve the safety and efficiency of work systems.

The knowledge they take away from the course will benefit them directly in a professional sense and benefit their sponsoring organisation through improved decisions in the area of equipment usability, safety and optimal task design.

The course consists of eight complementary modules. The course presentation is largely audio-visual, but a number of short practical exercises encourage delegate participation and reinforce the key principles. The course adopts an analytic and incisive approach to the subject area, with minimal technical jargon and an accessible style.

All delegates are issued with a comprehensive course booklet and certificate of attendance. Please contact us for a full syllabus.

Three-day Human Factors training course

As the importance of efficiency and reliability in defence operations has been recognised, attention has turned to the role of the human in the system. Human Factors has become an area of prime concern for all designers and managers of military systems. High-profile accidents have reinforced the need to design equipment that is compatible with the intended user's psychological and physiological capabilities. This three-day course provides a thorough introduction to all the main areas of HF.

Because HF is a multifaceted discipline, drawing on cognitive psychology, physiology, sociology and physics, there is a corresponding diversity in the content of the course. It contains the eight core modules of our basic one-day course, complemented by nine further modules and a series of practical sessions designed to expand and consolidate the delegate's understanding of HF. We adopt a practical and incisive approach to the subject, explaining the essential principles and techniques for ensuring that equipment and systems are designed and operated in a user-friendly manner.

The course is designed to impart a deeper understanding of HF than is afforded in the one-day course. The course is relevant to:

• Engineers and designers requiring practical analytic skills to solve HF problems on a day to day basis and to ensure the usability of systems and equipment
• Decision-makers, project managers and members of integrated project teams who require a deeper understanding of the determinants of human capabilities and performance in the work domain
• Operators of high-reliability systems who require an understanding of the potential role of HF in ensuring safety and efficiency

On completion of this course, delegates will understand the important determinants of human performance in work systems. They will be competent in performing basic hierarchical task analyses and in systematically applying HF principles to the design of user-centred systems. They will be in a position to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of extant systems and equipment from a HF perspective and to suggest and prioritise potential modifications.

The knowledge they take away from the course will benefit them directly in a professional sense by expanding their knowledge base. It will also benefit their sponsoring organisation through improved decisions in the area of equipment usability, safety and optimal task design.

The course consists of seventeen complementary modules. The course presentation is largely audio-visual, but a number of detailed practical sessions are included in most of the modules as an opportunity for delegates to apply theory and analysis to real-world HF problems under the guidance of the course tutors.

The course adopts an analytic and incisive approach to explaining the essential principles of HF and the techniques available to the HF analyst. Unnecessary technical jargon is avoided and the material is presented in a style accessible to delegates across all levels of technical ability.

Throughout, the course includes references to health and safety legislation, and national and international standards, wherever these are relevant.

At the beginning of the course, all delegates are issued with a comprehensive course booklet, including copies of all slides and suitable reading lists for each module. A certificate of attendance will be issued on the afternoon of the final day.

Please contact us for a full syllabus.

Training in manual handling operations

Figures released by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) indicate that in the UK typically over one third of all over-three-day injuries occur during manual handling operations (e.g. 38% in 2001/2002). This training course takes a holistic approach to manual handling operations by addressing seven key topics covering three key areas: the environment, the person and the task.

The course consists of seven modules:

1. Risks of manual handling operations
2. Anatomy and physiology relevant to lifting tasks
3. Musculoskeletal disorders caused by poor manual handling techniques
4. The Manual Handling Operations Regulations
5. Designing work to support safe manual handling
6. Lifting aids
7. Lifting techniques
8. Manual handling analysis tools, such as SafeLift (shown in the figure below).

The course pre-supposes no previous training in manual handling operations and it is suitable for employees from all industries and management levels.

The objective of the course is to equip employees with the basic knowledge necessary for conducting manual handling operations safely. At the end of the course they will understand the risks inherent in such operations and be able to determine the acceptability of lifting tasks according to the Manual Handling Operations Regulations. They will know how to mitigate risks through attention to task design, apposite use of lifting aids, modification of the load and the adoption of proper lifting technique.

Please contact us for a full syllabus.

Train the trainer courses for manual handling operations

This course imparts the necessary skills and knowledge for delegates to present InterAction's basic manual handling operations course. As a pre-requisite, delegates must have attended this basic course to become sufficiently familiar with the format and subject matter.

The morning session addresses the following broad areas:

• Presentational techniques
• Teaching aids
• Setting examinations

The afternoon session is an opportunity for delegates to practice presenting selected modules of the basic manual handling training course. Presentational style and clarity are skills developed through practice in front of an audience, and delegates will apply the principles learned in the morning session when presenting material to the group. All delegates will present at least one module, self-assess their performance and receive feedback from the group in a supportive and constructive manner. The goal is to explore and troubleshoot the potential difficulties implicit in presenting the material.

The objective is to equip delegates with the basic skills and confidence to present the manual handling operations training course developed by InterAction of Bath. By the end of the course, delegates will be familiar with the course content, adept at using teaching aids to best effect, and confident to present the training course effectively without supervision.

Other courses

Our Human Factors and manual handling courses are based on standard syllabuses, but on request we can tailor the syllabus to specific audiences or work contexts to improve the course utility.

We also offer a broad range of half- or one-day courses in particular areas of Human Factors. For example, deliver courses in shift work management and assessing VDU workstations. We are always happy to discuss and arrange with our clients the scope and content of a bespoke course.

Quality assurance

InterAction of Bath continually improves the quality of its services. We are certified to the quality standard ISO 9001:2000 and committed to our quality management system. We employ experienced and knowledgeable Human Factors professionals. Our reports are clear, concise, and incisive, written in a suitable style and peer reviewed.

Since 1997 InterAction of Bath has been a registered ergonomics consultancy with the Ergonomics Society. We are also registered with the Defence Standards Helpdesk to provide advice on Human Factors issues in the defence sector.