The development and implementation of — and adherence to — standard operating procedures (SOPs) has been an important contribution to aviation safety. Human factors considerations affect both the philosophy behind SOPs and their design.
“Procedures are specifications for conducting predetermined actions,” the International Civil Aviation Organization says in Doc 9683, Human Factors Training Manual. “They specify a progression of actions to assist operational personnel achieving their tasks in a manner which is logical, efficient and, most importantly, error resistant. Procedures are not produced in a vacuum nor are they inherent in the equipment; they are based on a broad concept of operation.”1
A frequently used method for procedure development is hierarchical task analysis (HTA), which is solidly established in the field of human factors. Human factors expert John Annett says, that HTA is recognized as a difficult method, as analysts require trai…
