I have decided it is time for a change with my website. My main aim is to share the papers, presentations and posts generated over my 20+ year career working as a human factors and process safety consultant. It is work in progress at the moment.
For a bit about, have a look at my CV
You will find the links to the papers on the various pages accessed from the menu above. Here is a full list of them all.
2025
Improving Ineffective Instructions (CIEHF annual conference) Paper
Alarm Management Webinar – Institute of Measurement and Control (Central North West) Video
The passing of Professor James Reason (Loss Prevention Bulletin) Paper
Human complexity bias when choosing safety models and methods (LinkedIn post) Paper
Human factors: improving safety by understanding the human influence on overall system performance (EEMUA conference) Presentation
2024
Perplexing Persistance of Poor procedures (Hazards 34 conference) Paper Presentation Procedure template
Evolving the hiearchy of risk control (Hazards 34 conference) Paper Presenatation Expanded hierarchy
Alarm management – New EEMUA 191 4th Edition (EEMUA alarms conference) Presenation
Fatigue management (LinkedIn post) Guidance note Management procedure example
Pressure testing fatality (Loss Prevention Bulletin) Paper
Managing the risks of stored energy – positive isolations may be safest but are
hazardous to install (Loss Prevention Bulletin) Paper
Flixborough and inherent safety – inspired by Trevor Kletz (Loss Prevention Bulletin) Paper
The effect of control room location, architectural design, systems configuration and human factors on major accident consequence and likelihood (Loss Prevention Bulletin) Paper
Procedure for implementing Safety Critical Task Analysis (SCTA) (LinkedIn post) Example management procedure Example SCTA report
Human factors role in supporting best practice (CIEHF annual conference) Paper
Managing the risks of stored energy – always expect the unexpected (Loss Prevention Bulletin) Paper
2023
Human Factors in Projects at operational sites (Hazards 33 conference) Paper
Leak testing – more complicated than you think (Hazards 33 conference) Paper Example task analysis
Jump to it – alarm response times (Hazards 33 conference) Paper
Human Factors Specification (LinkedIn post) Word version PDF version
Task analysis resources (LinkedIn post) Job aid Template Word version Template PDF version
SIF proof testing (Loss Prevention Bulletin) Paper
Human factors – HMI – PhD seminar (TuD Dublin) Presention
Human factors – control room design (Irish Ergonomics conference) Presentation
Buzzword checksheet Download
High Criticality Task Procedure Template
Procedure checklist Download
Procedure checklist Download
2022
SIF Testing – it’s more complicated than you think Paper Task analysis
2021
What Safety Studies Have you Got on you Menu (The Chemical Engineer) Part 1 of 3
Risk: Tools of the Trade (The Chemical Engineer) Part 2 of 3
Making Sure Risks are ALARP (The Chemical Engineer) Part 3 of 3
Task Analysis masterclass (CIEHF webinar) Presentation
Maximizing the contributions of people in your processing plant (Processing Magazine) Article
2020
A surfing tragedy with lessons for industry (Loss Prevention Bulletin) Paper
Passengers killed when their train crashed into wagons carrying flammable oil (Loss Prevention Bulletin) Paper
Go and tidy your (control) room (LinkedIn post) Link
Don’t overlook process safety (LinkedIn post) Link
Manufacturing in a Crisis – Keep Communicating (Eschback Whitepaper) Link
2019
Degrees of Separation (The Chemical Engineer) Article
Maintaining bursting discs and pressure safety valves — it’s more complicated than you think (Loss Prevention Bulletin) Paper
Control room design – guidance document EEMUA 201 3rd edition updated 2018 (Hazards 29 Conference) Paper
2018
Investigation and bias – an introduction (Loss Prevention Bulletin) Paper
Investigation and bias – procedures (Loss Prevention Bulletin) Paper
Shared isolations (Loss Prevention Bulletin Piper Alpha 30th anniversary) Paper
Shift Handover (Loss Prevention Bulletin Piper Alpha 30th anniversary) Paper
2017
Emergency procedures (Loss Prevention Bulletin) Paper
Interlocking isolation valves – less is more (Hazards 27 conference) Paper
Human Factors Engineering at the early phases of a project (CIEHF annual conference) Paper
Bowtie diagrams and human factors (LinkedIn post) Paper
2016
Double block and bleed – it’s more complicated than you think (Loss Prevention Bulletin) Paper
2014
Integrating Human Factors into Major Accident Safety Studies Paper
Linking task analysis with other process safety activities (Hazards conference) Paper
2013
Only human (The Chemical Engineer) Article
Task Risk Management – Practical Guide Paper
Task analysis template Link
Process isolation – it’s more complicated than you think (Loss Prevention Bulletin) Paper
2012
What can we learn from the grounding of the Astute submarine? (Loss Prevention Bulletin) Paper
What can we learn from the Costa Concordia? (Loss Prevention Bulletin) Paper
2011
Ten Years of Staffing Assessments Paper
2010
Accident avoidance (Loss Prevention Bulletin) Paper
Operations: A control room is only a component in a complex system (IBC conference) Paper
2008
Safety procedures that work (Tips & Advice) Special Report
Accident avoidance (Tips & Advice) Special Report
1999
Human factors assessment of safety critical tasks (HSE publication) Report
1996
Sources of data for use in human factors studies in the process industry PhD Thesis
Improvements in incident reporting and investgiation from developing a task inventory (Loss Prevention Bulletin) Paper
1995
Using a task inventory to develop a more effective incident reporting system (Loss Prevention Conference) Paper