Human factors experts working in systems safety have been involved in a number of successful programs and products.  Representative examples include the following:

Aircraft Evacuation System.  Human factors played an important role in the design, testing, and certification of the slide-raft evacuation system for the Douglas DC-10 commercial aircraft.  The effectiveness of this system has been demonstrated in several incidents and accidents.  As an example, at Los Angeles International Airport, a fully loaded aircraft was forced to abort a takeoff.  The aircraft ran off the runway, sheared part of its landing gear, and caught on fire.  All of the passengers, most of whom were elderly, were evacuated safely.

Fire Escape Stockings.  Human factors efforts in Switzerland and Japan have resulted in a safe and efficient way to escape from fires in buildings.  The system consists of a woven fireproof stocking.  If inside a building, the stocking is contained within a fire-brick tube.  If outside, the stocking rolls down the outside of the building in the event of a fire.  To escape from a fire, a person simply steps into the stocking and slides down to safety.

Active Noise Cancellation Systems.  Through the use of human factors knowledge in acoustics and speech communications, lightweight headset communication systems have been developed that cancel noise electronically, avoiding the bulk and weight of conventional noise control materials.  Improvements in communications and reductions in noise exposure hazards are benefits of this technology, which has been used successfully in aviation and tank crew headsets, as well as in hearing protectors for industrial noise applications.