Towards an explicative model of human cognitive process in a hidden hazardous situation and a cognitive ergonomics intervention in railway environment

Abstract

Over the recent decades, situation awareness errors and human errors are always considered among primary factors contributing to railway incidents and accidents. Hence, the need to focus research efforts on approaches centered on human factors rather than absolute technical solutions is becoming greater. In this paper, we firstly present the rail human factors context and cognitive ergonomics as a field of research in ergonomics. Then we state a brief overview of human errors contributing to rail accidents and that have major impact on railway safety. Secondly, we review models related to human cognitive behaviour in working environment. Then, we base our research on the Endesley model in order to propose an explicative model of cognitive processes involved in hidden hazardous situations. Through this model, we introduce the human cognitive processes with emphasis on situation awareness errors and complacency which are considered among causal factors of accidents including railway ones. In relation to the proposed model, we will proceed to human behaviour analysis and a cognitive ergonomic intervention in railway environment. This latter will allow to understand human behaviour in hazardous or hidden hazardous situation, to design the human cognitive processes involved, and then to reduce the resulting accidents and incidents.