OUR EXPERTISE
With a combined 50 years’ experience, Human Factors Expertise Ltd was formed by specialists in addressing Human Factors issues in the major hazard sector. As Regulators, Julie and Pippa saw companies relying on generalists to deliver Human Factors Integration and wasting their precious Process Safety budget. When you work with us, we can guarantee to give you the tools to achieve compliance – and more importantly, reduce the risk of a major accident. Meet our experts and our associates below.
MEET OUR EXPERTS
Julie Bell
Director and Human Factors Expert
Working for the Health and Safety Executive, I carried out research, policy, investigation, expert witness, and operational work in most Human Factors areas. I am recognised internationally for my work in Quantified Human Reliability Assessment and Fatigue Risk Management. I am the co-author of the updated and revised Human Error Assessment & Reduction Technique (HEART+). I have trained people in its use as well as helping organisations quantify human reliability as part of their risk assessment. I contributed to the 2023 revision of the COMAH Competent Authority’s Human Factors Operational Delivery Guide, the standard against which HSE’s regulators inspect Human Factors on Major Hazard establishments.
Get in touch for a conversation about how we can work with you to improve your risk control systems.
Pippa Brockington
Director and Human Factors Expert
I am the original creator of the COMAH Competent Authority’s Human Factors Operational Delivery Guide (2016). I produced the Human Factors Technical Assessment Guidance in the HSE’s Safety Report Assessment Manual (2015). I created and delivered Human Factors training for all HSE Health and Safety Inspectors, including the Human Factors in Major Hazards course for COMAH Competent Authority Inspectors. For 12 years, I managed and trained HSE's Human Factors specialist teams. Over the years, I have applied Human Factors in every industry you can think of, from Farming to Offshore, but specialising in onshore major hazards.
Get in touch for a conversation about how we can work with you to resolve your health and safety problems.
Jane Hopkinson, Associate Consultant
(Director Hopkinson Consulting)
MA (Hons), MSc Health Psychology
I am an expert in the field of health and safety having worked for 17 years as a psychologist for the Health and Safety Executive, with core expertise in organisational culture, leadership, and behaviour change. My blend of theoretical knowledge and practical experience allows me to support organisations to take a holistic approach to assessing and improving their health and safety performance and cultural maturity. I have worked across industry and around the globe as both a consultant and trainer and co authored a range of Nebosh and HSE training courses including Nebosh/HSE’s Health and Safety Leadership Excellence course.
My first career was as a Registered Nurse in the NHS and Royal Air Force. With health so firmly in my background the impact of organisational culture on employee experience, physical and psychological health and wellbeing is a key passion.
Jenny Gilroy, Associate Consultant
(Director, Osborn Ergonomics)
I have over 24 years of applying Human Factors and Working Environment across the process, offshore and rail industries, working for Engineering companies, Human Factors Consultancies and Operators. During this time I have covered a lot of areas of Human Factors practice but my main focus in the past 15 years has been design engineering and operational support to meet contractual and regulatory requirements regarding Working Environment and Human Factors Engineering. This has covered the design, modification and verification of: control systems and control facilities; equipment for offshore and onshore process and energy plants; offshore and onshore facility design; train and cab interiors; rail depots; airport, rail station and public space design. For Operators, I have overseen Human Factors work and supported Offshore Safety Cases, written procedures and strategies for Operators to integrate Human Factors into their Safety Management Systems, carried out bespoke Human Factors and Human Error training, and Safety Critical Task Analyses (SCTA). I’m always keen to work in new areas and take a pragmatic approach to meet client and regulatory requirements and challenges as directly, quickly and collaboratively as possible.