Communicating security messages during induction

Anthony MatsellSecurity

Communicating security values and behaviours to its employees can strengthen the resilience of an organization to security breaches and threats in addition to physical and technological measures. However, messages around security may get diluted amongst an organization’s other communications, and so it is vital that security is built up from an employee’s first day in an organization. User Perspective conducted … Read More

Support to security teams at the 2014 Commonwealth Games

Anthony MatsellControl rooms, Security

As a temporary major event, providing security at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow involved a number of human factors challenges. Similar to our work at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, User Perspective provided human factors advice and training to security teams working at the Commonwealth Games. In addition, User Perspective produced a definitive guide to human factors issues … Read More

CCTV security at the 2012 London Olympics

Anthony MatsellControl rooms, Security

The 2012 Olympic games in London represented a major logistical challenge when monitoring the security of the events, of which CCTV control rooms formed a significant part. As trusted experts in considering the human element in CCTV operation, User Perspective were asked to visit and provide training at temporary CCTV control rooms operating at the Olympic Games. This was especially … Read More

Emergency vehicle lighting

Anthony MatsellRoad safety

Emergency vehicles travel at high speeds when responding to an incident and so must be easily detectable by other road users to ensure that a collision does not occur. Lighting on emergency vehicles is one way this is achieved. On behalf of the Home Office, User Perspective conducted research on the effectiveness of emergency vehicle lighting using a number of … Read More

Continuing work in healthcare

Anthony MatsellHealthcare, Incident investigation

The cost of error in the healthcare sector can be very high for patients and their families, as well as medical practitioners and managers who are involved. Hospital staff members work in diverse teams, with intricate problems and often use complex technology in time-pressured and safety-critical conditions – it is obvious that the human factors approach can provide benefits in … Read More

Road safety interventions following a collision

Anthony MatsellRoad safety

A local police and road safety partnership was interested in approaching driver training interventions for the public from a new perspective, due to challenges experienced in their current strategy. The main issue was that such interventions could largely only target drivers if they had committed an offence that had directly led to a road traffic incident. Using the accepted premise … Read More

Operation Paget – the Diana inquiry

Anthony MatsellIncident investigation

User Perspective’s most high profile and sensitive case to date involved the inquest into the deaths of Diana, Princess of Wales and Mr Dodi Fayed. Inconsistencies between eyewitness testimonies and forensic evidence contributed to the complexity of the inquest and fuelled conspiracy theories in the public domain and in the media. User Perspective was asked by the Metropolitan Police to … Read More

User engagement during system changes at a major hospital

Anthony MatsellHealthcare

A major local hospital consulted with User Perspective concerning a new software system for use in pathology tests. The proposed system was shortly scheduled to replace an outdated system, but one that was favoured by the staff. Though User Perspective was approached and became involved once the changes had already been set in motion, we still made use of a … Read More

Human factors in security control rooms and CCTV

Anthony MatsellControl rooms, Security

The human factor is often the last component of security to be considered, but it is likely to be the weakest link in any security system. Even in a world of increasingly sophisticated technology, human operators often have to make the final decisions and take appropriate action. Ideally, human factors expertise should form part of the initial design and procurement … Read More

Security screening at airports

Anthony MatsellSecurity

In recent years, User Perspective has conducted novel on-the-ground research in several airports on behalf of government and airport stakeholders, with the aim of understanding and testing how human elements can help enhance aviation security. While the potential improvements had been theorised, they had yet to be tested under operational conditions in a functioning airport. Our challenge was to deliver … Read More