Entering the conceptual age : implications for control room operators and safety

The Australian railway industry is facing additional risks associated with the introduction of new technologies. Advancing technologies are responsible for moving humanity through the Information Age into a far more complex Conceptual Age. Continually changing climates have dramatically altered the role of transport contollers, while traditional safety management systems are often compromised. To bridge this gap, research is recognising that a new perspective in controlling risk has to be developed, one that emphasises flexibility, resilience and adaptability. An important step to improving organisational resilience therefore, is to improve organisational sensitivity particularly toward new technology selection, implementation and usage lifecycle. Current research is examining the human factors issues that moderate safe and successful adoption of new technologies.