The participatory ergonomics in the design of safety systems in complex work systems

Abstract

In systems theory, safety is an emergent property of the interactions among the system components, that is, how the work system is obtained without affecting its constituent components or the system as a whole, providing that the expected result operates at the prescribed level of reliability. However, if the system becomes unbalanced due to the undetected failure of one of its components or interactions, that can produce a dysfunction that materializes as an adverse event (accident). Therefore, as of the design stage, interactions among the components must be identified as a series of potential dysfunctions and converted into safety layers that contribute to the functional balance of the system. That stage is successful if end users, work safety and health personnel, design engineers, and project managers all participate actively in the group, using participatory ergonomics principles and tools.