Supporting the human life-raft in confronting the juggernaut of technology: Jens Rasmussen, 1961-1986

- Thematic survey of Jens Rasmussen's papers (and Risø work reports) from 1961 to 1986.
- Theme 1: Rasmussen's engineering epistemology.
- Theme 2: Rasmussen's approach of conceptualizing the problem of technical reliability as a systems problem.
- Theme 3: Rasmussen's conceptualization of the operator in technical contexts.
- Theme 4: Supporting the operator's everyday knowing and acting for correct functioning of the system.
- Theme 5: Emphasis on a generalized qualitative and categorical approach for systems design.
- Theme 6: Relation between operator and designer in systems design.

Jens Rasmussen's contribution to the field of human factors and ergonomics has had a lasting impact. Six prominent interrelated themes can be extracted from his research between 1961 and 1986. These themes form the basis of an engineering epistemology which is best manifested by his abstraction hierarchy. Further, Rasmussen reformulated technical reliability using systems language to enable a proper human-machine fit. To understand the concept of human-machine fit, he included the operator as a central component in the system to enhance system safety. This change resulted in the application of a qualitative and categorical approach for human-machine interaction design. Finally, Rasmussen's insistence on a working philosophy of systems design as being a joint responsibility of operators and designers provided the basis for averting errors and ensuring safe and correct system functioning.