Safety Critical Task Analysis (SCTA) Health Check: Tip 4 - Performance Influencing Factors (PIFs)

❌ Stop Doing This in Your SCTA

We see this mistake ALL THE TIME:

Someone takes the HSE PIF list and just copies generic labels:
· "Distraction"
· "Time pressure"
· "Poor interface"
· "Inadequate training"

Then they paste the same PIFs across multiple rows.

This is what bad SCTA looks like.

Here's the problem:
Generic PIFs give you LITTLE insight and LITTLE actionable information.
Compare these:

❌ BAD: "Distraction"
✅ GOOD: "-ve DISTRACTION: Task takes place in busy lorry loading bay with reversing alarms going off every 3-5 minutes during shift changes"

❌ BAD: "Poor labelling"
✅ GOOD: "-ve LABELLING: Sample bottles only labelled with batch code, no colour coding or hazard symbols. All bottles look identical under warehouse lighting"

See the difference?

The second version tells you:
✓ What exactly the PIF is
✓ Why it matters for THIS failure mode
✓ What you can actually fix

"It's that further detail that's really important. That's where a lot of the power from this analysis comes from." - Dominic Furniss

Each PIF should:
· Link directly to the specific failure mode
· Describe the actual context
· Be unique to that situation (mostly)
· Enable targeted improvements

Are your PIFs specific enough to action?

⏰ 8 DAYS LEFT: Flagship SCTA Course offer ends 28 November I intensive training | £1,200 (was £1,650) | Save £450

Master these techniques and more. Access the full SCTA Health Check Webinar here: https://the.humanreliabilityacademy.com/courses/SCTAHealthCheck

Видео Safety Critical Task Analysis (SCTA) Health Check: Tip 4 - Performance Influencing Factors (PIFs) канала Human Reliability Associates