University supports research into team-working practices

A new project at the University of Leicester aims to adapt team-working practices used in the aviation industry to a range of other industries in the hope of preventing avoidable accidents.

The Civil Safety and Security Unit's Dr Simon Bennett has been awarded £8.5k by the University's Research and Enterprise Division to develop a new iteration of the flight-deck team-working protocol Crew Resource Management (CRM) for use in aviation, health-care and other high-risk industries.

The award, part of the University’s 2016/17 Prospects Fund programme, recognises the potential to migrate this new protocol to other sectors, which could include the military, as well as the NHS and railways.

Dr Bennett commented: "The new iteration will be developed inductively, through action research, participant observation and interviewing. The aviation industry considers in-vivo human-factors research to produce the most reliable results."

The project, which commences in the autumn of 2016, will produce several academic publications and support a major bid for monies to investigate medical error. Dr Bennett added: "Knowledge-transfer will support efforts to reduce the unacceptably high rate of medical mishap."