Proactively identifying the risks to performance in elite sport systems: A novel application of the networked hazard analysis and risk management system (Net-HARMS) in women’s cycling

Abstract

There is increasing interest in applying systems Human Factors and Ergonomics (HFE) methods in sport. The Networked Hazard Analysis and Risk Management System (Net-HARMS) is a recently developed risk assessment (RA) approach that draws on systems HFE methods to identify risks across overall work systems. What makes Net-HARMS unique is its capacity to identify ‘emergent risks’ – those unexpected risks that arise when risks from across the system combine and interact. Whilst the method was developed to support the identification of risks in safety-critical systems, its capacity to identify risks in other domains has been noted. This study sets out to use Net-HARMS in the context of elite women’s road cycling to predict all the credible risks that could degrade optimal sports performance. The findings demonstrate that Net-HARMS can be effectively applied in a context other than safety, and that multiple risks threatening the performance of the cycling team were identified.