SAFEMODE partners presented five papers in a dedicated special session on Human Factors at the European Safety & Reliability (ESREL) conference in Dublin, on 29th August, where more than 600 safety professionals and academics from around the world gathered to share new ideas and research results on how to improve safety across a range of industries. The well-attended opening session on SAFEMODE, one of several on Human Factors and safety, was chaired by SAFEMODE representatives Barry Kirwan and Scott Mackinnon, who oversaw presentations on the Human Factors Toolkit, Risk Models, the SHIELD database, and case studies from maritime and aviation. There was good audience interaction and appreciation for SAFEMODE, for example from the Danish maritime sector, as well as the US nuclear industry, who wanted to know when the SAFEMODE deliverables such as SHIELD, the Toolkit and SAFEFLIX would be available. Overall, SAFEMODE was applauded for ‘raising the bar’ in Human Factors in safety.