HFACS Methodology in Human Causes Course
Online course of 300 hours in HFACS methodology for human causes. 6 modules covering ICAO Annex 19 (Safety Management), ICAO Doc 9859 (Safety Management Manual) and NVivo. Assigned tutor and open enrolment.
HFACS Methodology in Human Causes Course — studying from Australia
Regulation, safety and reliability engineering are essential across Australian industries, particularly in transport, energy, defence and mining. RAMS (reliability, availability, maintainability and safety) practices support asset integrity and regulatory compliance. Vehicle and product homologation is governed by national standards and the Infrastructure department, while work health and safety laws are harmonised across most jurisdictions. Engineers work on safety cases, certification, failure analysis and compliance documentation. Employers include regulators, certification bodies, asset owners and consultancies.
Fees for Australia: A$712 (AUD), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in Australia
Typical roles
Questions from Australia
Does SEIUM's qualification satisfy Australian regulatory or homologation requirements?
No. SEIUM qualifications are private and are not official state degrees or accredited by national bodies. Homologation and safety regulation in Australia, such as vehicle standards administered by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts, set their own requirements. Confirm with the relevant authority which competencies apply.
Which Australian employers and bodies might value this training in RAMS and regulation?
Consultancies, infrastructure and rail operators, regulators' contractors, and industrial safety teams in Australia may hire people with RAMS and compliance skills. Whether they value a private qualification depends on each employer. Demonstrated competence and project experience usually carry significant weight.
Is the course manageable alongside work, and how is payment handled?
The programmes are online, taught in English, and include an assigned technical tutor, so you can study from Australia around your job. Fees are payable in instalments, and employers may sponsor you. Confirm the programme length and the time you can realistically commit each week.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Explain Reason's model and the classification of human error.
Describe the levels and categories of the HFACS taxonomy.
Apply sector-specific HFACS adaptations to different transport modes.
Code incidents with HFACS in a systematic way.
Measure inter-coder reliability using statistical indices.
Turn analysis results into preventive measures.
Carry out a complete HFACS analysis of an accident.
Who it's for
- Human factors specialist who wants to specialise in the HFACS Methodology in Human Causes.
- Operational safety analyst who wants to specialise in the HFACS Methodology in Human Causes.
- Accident investigator who wants to specialise in the HFACS Methodology in Human Causes.
- SMS manager who wants to specialise in the HFACS Methodology in Human Causes.
- Occupational risk prevention technician who wants to specialise in the HFACS Methodology in Human Causes.
- Safety culture consultant who wants to specialise in the HFACS Methodology in Human Causes.
- Engineering or science graduates looking to enter aviation.
What you'll work with
- ICAO Annex 19 (Safety Management)
- ICAO Doc 9859 (Safety Management Manual)
- ICAO Doc 9683 (Human Factors Training Manual)
- Regulation (EU) 376/2014 (occurrence reporting)
- ISO 45001 (occupational health and safety)
- ISO 6385 (ergonomic principles)
6 modules · 300 h
1.1Error taxonomies: slips, lapses and mistakes1.2Routine and exceptional violations1.3Reason's Swiss cheese model1.4Active failures and latent conditions1.5SHELL model of human factors1.6Human performance: attention and workload1.7Fatigue and circadian rhythms1.8Endsley's situation awareness1.9Just culture and learning1.10Case study: reading an accident through the Swiss cheese model
2.1Origins in the US Navy: Shappell and Wiegmann2.2Level 1: unsafe acts2.3Level 2: preconditions for unsafe acts2.4Level 3: unsafe supervision2.5Level 4: organisational influences2.6Categories and subcategories2.7Nanocodes and coding guides2.8Differences from other taxonomies2.9Limitations and criticism of the method2.10Workshop: coding an aviation case
3.1HFACS-ME for maintenance3.2HFACS-MA in maritime3.3HFACS in rail and RR3.4HFACS in mining and construction3.5HFACS in healthcare and processes3.6DoD HFACS 8.0 version3.7Additional level of external influences3.8Adaptation to autonomous vehicles3.9Selecting the appropriate variant3.10Practice: analysing a rail incident with HFACS
4.1Data sources: reports, interviews and records4.2Expert coding protocol4.3Inter-coder reliability: Cohen's kappa4.4Coder training4.5Handling ambiguous cases4.6Databases of coded incidents4.7Statistical analysis of frequencies4.8Associations between levels: chi-square and odds ratio4.9Software and coding sheets4.10Lab: calculating inter-coder reliability
5.1Identifying organisational trends5.2HFIX intervention matrices5.3CRM and TEM training5.4Designing procedures and checklists5.5Supervision improvements5.6Integration with the SMS5.7Leading indicators5.8Communicating results to management5.9Evaluating the effectiveness of measures5.10Case study: intervention plan following an HFACS analysis
6.1Selecting a set of incidents6.2Collecting reports6.3Choosing the HFACS variant6.4Coding the cases6.5Reliability analysis6.6Statistical analysis of results6.7Proposing interventions6.8Monitoring plan6.9Report and presentation6.10Final review with the tutor
How you'll learn
100% online training on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. No fixed timetables: students progress at their own pace within the intake, which makes it possible to combine with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is NVivo, IBM SPSS, R, advanced Excel, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Test cases are studied using real procedures for coding accident reports, inter-coder reliability studies and cause-analysis workshops. Assessment is continuous per module, plus the final integrating project.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Explain Reason's model and the classification of human error.
Describe the levels and categories of the HFACS taxonomy.
Apply sector-specific HFACS adaptations to different transport modes.
Code incidents with HFACS in a systematic way.
Measure inter-coder reliability using statistical indices.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- No prior degree is required.
- Internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme's software.
- Sufficient Spanish-language proficiency to follow technical regulations.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme totals 300 hours, spread over 3 to 5 months. That is an average of 10 to 15 hours per week, compatible with full-time work.
You work with NVivo, IBM SPSS, R and advanced Excel. Free, academic or evaluation versions are used, and the tutor points out the free alternative where one exists.
An in-house SEIUM diploma upon passing the continuous assessment and the final integrating project. It is in-house training, not an official qualification from the Ministry.
Yes. Modules passed in a course or postgraduate diploma in the same area are recognised towards the advanced programme. Check the recognition policy when you enrol.
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