The Naval Safety Center launched a new Department of Defense Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (DoD HFACS) app via both the Apple and Android app stores.

DoD HFACS codes are used when entering safety mishaps into the Web-Enabled Safety System (WESS), and they help analysts understand the human element behind roughly 80 percent of all mishaps.

"Ultimately, the app will be used as an enhanced version of the existing HFACS flipbook," said Lt. Andrew Miranda, an aerospace experimental psychologist at the Naval Safety Center.

The app currently takes up about 24.5 MB of space on a user's phone, and including documents and data, increases to about 100 MB. Users will be able to bookmark certain places in the app and it has a "resume" feature that will enable them to go back to the place where they left off. Users will also be able to review the app and provide suggestions via the app for improvements.

Along with being an electronic safety guide, Miranda said the app is a more interactive version of the original Quick Series flipbook. Users will be able to enter search terms to find specific information about nanocodes and definitions to find more detailed information.

There is also additional information and resources outside of the DoD HFACS area that is specific to the Naval Safety Center in general, such as a mishap investigation guide, contact information for reporting a mishap and even stories from Approach magazine with links to other media sources.

Miranda said the app is expected to be updated quarterly or when immediately necessary based on user feedback.

"We will be continuing efforts to query users for feedback on suggestions for improvements," said Miranda.

Like most apps, the Naval Safety Center's app addresses a need for a particular target audience - Sailors, Marines and DoD employees - who were asking for an electronic version of the information provided by the Naval Safety Center. However, the app is specifically tailored for safety officers who have a need to quickly access the guides.

"We receive weekly requests from safety officers and professionals asking for copies of the HFACS flipbook," said Miranda. "We wanted to provide a more convenient method for users to get the information, while providing them with a user-friendly application."

Miranda said one day the app may replace the flipbook, but in the near-term, it would be used as a supplemental source of information for safety officers to reference, as well as providing access to other timely safety messages.

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