What is the main focus of Human Performance Improvement (HPI)?

• A. Reducing injuries and improving comfort
• B. Increasing production and efficiency
• C. Reducing errors and managing defenses to prevent significant events
• D. Eliminating all procedures and training

Answer: (C)

Reducing human error and building defenses to prevent serious events is what HPI focuses on. It looks at how people interact with tools, procedures, and the work environment, identifying where mistakes are likely to occur and applying training, clear procedures, cues, and system design changes to catch or avert those mistakes before they lead to harm. The aim is a safer, more reliable operation by making human errors more detectable and recoverable, rather than expecting flawless performance.

This approach isn’t primarily about reducing injuries or increasing production, though better performance can help both. And it isn’t about eliminating procedures and training—those are essential defenses in HPI, used to prevent significant events rather than removed.