Performance Influencing Factors (PIFs)

Performance Influencing Factors, or PIFs, are factors that combine with basic human error tendencies to create error-likely situations. In general terms PIFs can be described as those factors which determine the likelihood of error or effective human performance. It should be noted that PIFs are not automatically associated with human error. PIFs such as quality of procedures, level of time stress, and effectiveness of training, will vary on a continuum from the best practicable (e.g., an ideally designed training program based on a proper training needs analysis) to worst possible (corresponding to no training program at all). When PIFs relevant to a particular situation are optimal then performance will also be optimal and error likelihood will be minimised.