The RailHOF Platform: Supporting the Worldwide Rail Community in Developing Awareness and Competence in Human and Organizational Factors

Abstract The importance of human and organizational factors (HOF) is increasingly recognised in legislation such as the European Commission’s 4th railway package which requires HOF to be integrated into railway company safety management systems using recognised expertise and methods from the human factors/ergonomics discipline. Apart from legislative requirements, applying HOF to the design, operation and maintenance of a transport system makes good business sense. A HOF-focused approach to design centres the design of systems around human capabilities and limitations, and this has benefits not only for safety, but also for efficiency, effectiveness, system reliability and quality of service. However, despite these drivers, there is currently a relatively low application of HOF in practice, partly driven by a lack of available expertise and awareness. The RailHOF platform aims to address this by creating forums and content to engage with different target groups and improve the accessibility of HOF concepts and approaches. The platform has three primary elements: a LinkedIn group; a forum hosted by the International Union of Railways (UIC); and a website. This paper describes the HOF platform and how it aims to support the necessary growth in awareness and application of HOF in the rail and other transport sectors, with the aim of increasing the application of HOF so as to improve outcomes for safety, performance, and the reliability of the rail system.