A Joint Service Description of Crew Resource Management for Accident Analysis and Prevention

A Department of Defense (DoD) Cockpit/Crew Resource Management (CRM) working group was established to develop a common definition of CRM and create a method for capturing CRM factors in mishap investigations to be used by the Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard investigators and analysts. The goal of the CRM working group was to build on the substantial commonalities among the services regarding CRM concepts, while also accommodating service-unique requirements. This CRM project was part of a larger DoD initiative to promote a common Human Factors taxonomy, investigation, and analysis system for DoD-wide implementation. Shappell and Weigmann’s Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS) formed the structure for both the CRM working group and the larger initiative to standardize human factors and human performance terminology across the DoD. A common CRM definition was developed and specific codes were created that can be translated into Army, Navy, Coast Guard, or Air Force CRM skill sets. The resulting specific codes are located in several areas of the HFACS taxonomy. Given the success of the HFACS project, the CRM working group is now exploring ways to further standardize CRM concepts and improve CRM training across services