Training Needs Analysis Methods

Various human factors methods can be used to inform the TNA process. These include task analysis (e.g., HTA), cognitive task analysis (e.g., CDM), Cognitive Work Analysis (CWA) (Vicente, 1999), interviews, questionnaires, and observational studies. A summary of HTA, cognitive task analysis, and cognitive work analysis 

The HTA process is simplistic, involving collecting data about the task or system under analysis (through such techniques as observation, questionnaires, interviews with subject matter experts, walkthroughs, user trials, and documentation review, to name but a few) and then using these data to decompose and describe the goals, subgoals, and tasks involved. For discussion of the HTA procedure and example outputs, the reader is referred to Chapter 2. 

What were your specific goals at the various decision points  

What features were you looking for when you formulated your decision How did you know that you needed to make the decision How did you know when to make the decision  

Were you expecting to make this sort of decision during the course of the event  

---

The focus of this chapter has been on proactive application of these analytical methods such as safety audits, development of procedures, training needs analysis, and equipment design. However, many of these methods can also be used in a retrospective mode, and this issue deserves further attention in its own right. Chapter 6 describes analytical methods for accident investigations and data collection. 

Training needs analysis Training method and process Use of training principles... 

The question to answer for this pre-startup task is Who needs training for this process and to what level of detail One method to analyze training needs is offered by the Instructional Systems Design (ISD) technical training model. It points to the job task analysis method mentioned previously (Appendix D, ISD Model and Job Task Analysis Techniques) to identify procedure titles as a first step for determining which job positions require specific knowledge and skills. 

The first step to develop in-house training is to identify training needs. Employees can provide information on training needs by answering questions about job concerns and safety incidents. Other methods include conducting a job hazard/process analysis or other type of analysis... 

Abstract. In this paper we apply the contract theory to the analysis of the door control functionality in a metro train. The system under development is specified and modeled by rail domain experts. Contract theory is used to formahze some safety requirements that can be then automatically analyzed by our developed tool suite. Formal Specs Verifier (FSV). The produced work that derives by working with and on FSV represents a good starting point for matching the industrial needs in the field of system analysis and testing and for the definition of new analysis methods that provides indications on how to efficiently reduce the effort of making an exhaustive testing. 

In combination with full-spectrum multivariate analysis methods and developments in fibre-optic technology NIR has gained great importance especially for chemical quality assurance but also for automatic reaction process confiol of polymers, in a rational and economical manner [272,278]. Although multiple component quantitations are now routinely being performed, NIRS is not an easy to use technique. Each specific application needs to be calibrated. The complex relation between chemical and physical structure of polymers can easily lead to misinterpretations by uncritical use. Clearly, NIRS is not a technique suitable for analysis of competitor products beyond the training set. 

However, panel testing is a time-consuming and training-intensive evaluation procedure, where skilled staff is needed. In order to support the sensory panel s evaluation, a purge and trap analysis of the volatile compounds in cold-pressed virgin canola oils has been set up. With this technique, key volatiles for some of the most common defects can be detected with an objective analysis method. For example, oils with a rancid attribute show compounds such as hexanal, heptanal, octanal, non-anal, fra 5-2-heptenal, fra 5 -2-octenal, trans-2-nonenal, trans-2-decenal and trans-... 

Finally, analytical methods can be compared in terms of their need for equipment, the time required to complete an analysis, and the cost per sample. Methods relying on instrumentation are equipment-intensive and may require significant operator training. For example, the graphite furnace atomic absorption spectroscopic method for determining lead levels in water requires a significant capital investment in the instrument and an experienced operator to obtain reliable results. Other methods, such as titrimetry, require only simple equipment and reagents and can be learned quickly. 

Partitioning methods occasionally struggle to provide the accuracy associated with more powerful, albeit less informative techniques such as machine learning and statistical approaches. For this reason, there is a continuing need for the application of more accurate and informative classification techniques to QSAR analysis. The goal of a classifier is to produce a model that can separate new, untested compounds into classes with a training set of already classified compounds. 

Many polymer companies have not maintained a cadre of experts on the analysis of additives in polymers. Consequently, there is a need to train a new generation of people about additives and methods of deformulating them. Outsourcing of polymer/additive... 

The determination of quantity in complex mixtures is also vital in health care and medicine. We are all familiar with the medical examinations in which a sample of blood or urine is sent to a laboratory for analysis. The procedures used have been developed by chemists, and are performed by trained chemical technicians. The high level of automation achieved by the chemists who designed these analytical procedures has greatly reduced the costs of such analyses. Clinical analysis continues to be driven by a need for better methods to detect and measure important proteins, for example, that while present in tiny amounts are relevant to our health and well-being. 

There are a number of things to consider, but the most important is understanding the needs of the customer. Is the total sugar content of the product required or the lactose content The level of uncertainty in the result that is acceptable also helps focus on the choice of method. Once the method is chosen and validated, it is then important to ensure that all of the equipment is available and in a proper state of calibration. Then, all that remains is to have sufficient trained staff to carry out the analysis. Once the experimental results have been obtained and the data treatment is complete, the report can be written. The report also has to meet the customer requirements and should be written in an unambiguous way which is clear to the non-specialist. 

Currently available methods for determining seafood freshness have been reviewed (2,3,4,5). In general, sensory and microbiological quality of seafoods are the standards most often utilized for determining freshness. There are, however, several limitations with these methods such as the need for trained technicians, problems with subjectivity, or long analysis times. Consequently, several new methods have been proposed using chemical indices of freshness that attempt to overcome these difficulties. The purpose of the present paper is to first review these methods with particular emphasis on shrimp freshness determinations and, secondly, to present experimental evidence showing that impedance can be used to denote shrimp freshness. 

---