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Research

What is CWSA?

Cognitive Work and Safety Analysis (CWSA) refers to a variety of techniques that can be used to assist in the design and development of complex sociotechnical systems. CWSA techniques focus on the work that people do, including the tasks they perform, the decisions they make and the strategies they use, as well as the context within which they perform their work. These analyses can be used for applications ranging from the development of interfaces, decision support systems, teams, and training, to risk mitigation in acquisitions, and the identification of safety inadequacies in a system. The application of CWSA techniques can lead to enhanced system capability, operational performance and safety.

CWSA techniques include:

• Cognitive Work Analysis, which analyses the boundary conditions or constraints within which workers operate
• AcciMap Analysis, which analyses the organisational causes of accidents and highlights problem areas to be addressed
• Cognitive Task Analysis, which analyses the mental processes underlying task performance. An example is the Critical Decision Method, which analyses how experts make decisions in critical situations