MAP-01-010 HFI Management Guide - Human Factors Integration ...

Chapter 1 – HFI within Naval Capability Acquisition
1.3.6 Health Hazard Assessment HFI Issues
Health hazards can occur in working and recreational areas of the vessel and are
distinguished from safety risks as they can arise during normal operation of the
system. The HFI Programme needs to define the risk of such hazards and
ensure that platform and equipment design, operating procedures and training
eliminate or minimise their impact and maximise crew health.
The range of potential health hazards that apply across platform and equipment
programmes include the following:
1. Acoustic – Hearing loss from exposure to continuous or intermittent noise,
e.g. in machinery rooms, prolonged wearing of headsets.
2. Biological – Infections from micro organisms, their toxins and enzymes,
e.g. in galleys.
3. Chemical – Inhalation, ingestion or direct contact with toxic substances,
e.g. hydraulic fluid.
4. Oxygen deficiency – Reduced performance or asphyxiation, e.g. poorly
ventilated compartments.
5. Radiation – Radiation from ionising and non-ionising sources, e.g.
proximity to high-powered radar equipment.
6. Shock – Shock arising from equipment operation or ship motion, e.g.
electric, extreme movements.
7. Temperature extremes and humidity – Extremes leading to reductions in
performance, or more serious effects on health, e.g. excessive heat
generated by proximity to operating equipment.
8. Trauma – Physical trauma resulting from direct impact to the body or
musculo-skeletal trauma due to the need to lift excessive weights or
continuously operate equipment, e.g. repetitive strain injury associated with
using input devices for computer-based or other equipment.
9. Vibration – Vibration arising from the contact of mechanically oscillating
surfaces with the body, e.g. the effect of the platform motion envelope in
different compartments.
10. Visual – Loss or serious impairment of sight due to exposure to high levels
of light energy, e.g. lasers; eyesight problems from prolonged use of visual
display units.
The identification and recognition of health hazards in the HFI Programme helps
to ensure that these are designed out. In a vessel hazards may arise from many
sources. These may be structural including the provision and location of
drainage facilities, the ease of cleaning surfaces, the absorption of surface
finishes, toxic and other characteristics of furnishing and surface finishes and the
effects of leakage or interactions between substances. Hazard prevention will
affect the design of operating procedures, shift lengths and rest periods, rotation
of relief operators, the design of protective equipment, compartment layout,
hazard zoning and training and raising awareness. Preventative programmes
and facilities can be designed to counter these types of health hazard and to
Nov 2006 Page 1-27 Issue 4