Development of a Portable Human Error Incident Investigation Tool for the Railroad Industry

Foster-Miller proposes to develop a human-centered portable human error investigation tool to aid railroad investigators in systematically identifying those factors that likely contributed to a railroad incident, and formulating appropriate corrective actions. This tool will be designed as a ¿co-pilot¿ to the investigator to ensure a meaningful and successful human error investigation. Foster-Miller¿s design approach will be based on 1) application of a valid model of human error, 2) familiarity with the railroad operating environment, and 3) use of human-centered software design principles. First, Foster-Miller will identify candidate human error conceptual frameworks. Next, the human error framework that is most appropriate to the railroad operating environment will be selected to serve as the backbone of the tool. Based on the particular framework, software tool function and system requirements will be developed. The tool is expected to have four functions: data collection, corrective action identification, and reporting. Decision aids, checklists, and other investigator tools will be developed for each function. Lastly, a preliminary design for the software tool will be produced based on the selected human error conceptual framework and function and system requirements.