An analysis of points in the task where communication is required with other personnel or groups of personnel, either within or external to the immediate work area. The communications analysis identifies when the communication is needed, the origin in terms of the person and their location and by what means. Any relevant perfomance shaping factors are examined for their implications. For example, if it is proposed that a radio or a telephone will be used and the area is noted to be subject to high noise levels then a suitable alternative will have to be found, or a method of noise attenuation employed. The results of this assessment can feed into the operating procedures to ensure that all necessary communications are carried out in an efficient and timely fashion and can also feed into the design process to ensure that adequate means fo communications are provided for safe operation.
Communications are usually most critical during an abnormal or emergency scenario.
The workload of the operator and the demands on the system can be examined for selected scenarios using workload analysis techniques.