Advances in Human Factors/Ergonomics Series

Human factors measurement has characteristics that set it apart from psychological or engineering measurement and for that reason, human factors testing and evaluation deserves special treatment. The many excellent texts available in the behavioral area do not give an adequate picture of this topic, and this is particularly unfortunate because testing and evaluation (T&E) is an integral part of human-machine system design and operation. The emphasis in this book is on why and how to conduct such testing. One of its outstanding features is its pragmatism; based on his past experience in system testing, the author recognizes the difficulties that occur in testing and indicates how these may be overcome or minimized. Special attention has been paid to the context in which T&E is conducted. Although the book contains detailed procedures for performing T&E, the logic and the conceptual foundation of testing have not been overlooked. Comparisons are made with laboratory-centered experimentation. For those with research interests, the author points out the many research questions that can be answered by system testing. An illustrative case history of a T&E program for a fictional system has been included to provide ``real life'' context. Special problem areas in T&E are emphasized, in particular human error data collection, the evaluation of computerized systems and software, the measurement of maintenance technician and team performance; workload and training effectiveness testing. Special attention is also paid to environmental testing (e.g. temperature, lighting, noise, vibration, etc.). One chapter reviews all the relevant T&E literature including government documents that may not be readily available to the general reader. As part of the preparation for writing this text a survey was made of 45 distinguished T&E specialists in order to determine their characteristic T&E practices. The book will be useful not only to the human factors professional who specializes in T&E, but to all students and practitioners interested in human factors and work measurement.

The objectives of Human Reliability are to build reliability into the job, into the machine, and into the environment, and to let man perform naturally. In this book the author shows how these objectives can be achieved by concentrating on human reliability issues during the design stage. This is done by illustrating the relationships between various design features and some aspect of human performance, e.g. human errors. The book is designed as a practical guide to the daily performance of tasks in Human Reliability as well as a general reference and tutorial introduction to the field. It is therefore both practical and theoretical: the first four chapters focus on principles and ramifications relevant to human error prevention; the latter four are primarily concerned with human reliability analysis and prediction methodology. Throughout the book there are extensive references, numerous ready-to-use recommendations, formulas and mathematical models, and computer programs for human reliability work for analyzing, predicting and preventing human errors in a variety of situations. Though some of the material requires undergraduate training in engineering, the more difficult mathematical expositions can be omitted without loss of continuity, but are available for the reader who needs a more complete understanding of the relevant theory.

In order to succeed, human factors research must blend the subjective and objective aspects of the client's situation, applying both argument and evidence. How to accomplish this complex and very necessary goal is the subject of this book in which information systems, research methods, and evaluation procedures have been formulated as elements in an application strategy that makes possible the blending of research and design. Three main themes are maintained throughout the book: the concern to ensure that designers know how to conduct human factors research in an effective and efficient manner; the emphasis on obtaining the benefits possible when designer and client work in collaboration; and the possibility that what is presented should stimulate thoughtful ideas about new computer applications or database features. Human factors research is fundamentally a problem of information development. Using the standardized information system presented in the book, the promise found in human factors research can readily be realized as the research questions and methods given provide a strategy and means for situational analysis. A necessary adjunct to human factors research is a means for assessing findings and translating them into specific design objectives, criteria, and specifications. The evaluation procedures described are directed toward these very complex requirements and provide a means for database development. The final chapter of the book contains research strategies, guidelines for establishing scopes of work, schedules, and budgets, and suggestions for proposals for those situations in which standard fees do not provide sufficient funds for human factors research. The book is written primarily for architects, interior designers, and students of environmental design. Many others will also find it of value: those who employ professional design services, executives who formulate policy for facility development and capital investment, administrators of housing, community service, educational, and recreational programs, developers concerned with community acceptability and marketability, managers of office buildings, industrial plants, and service and retail stores, and those who plan to design their own environments - all need a systematic approach to assure full benefits from their efforts and capital investments.

Since the early 1970s there has been a considerable growth in the literature published on the topic of human reliability. However, the main emphasis has been on technical aspects of human reliability, rather than on an integrated safety approach combining safety engineering, organization and human factors. Up till now, information on the subject of occupational safety which covers human reliability as one aspect has been widely scattered in technical reviews or briefly mentioned in textbooks. This book provides a comprehensive overview on occupational safety with special emphasis on the human element. Examples of empirical studies as well as suggestions for practical measures are included to help in the understanding and application of the contents of the text. Although the prime objective of the book is to cover occupational safety from a human factors point of view, nevertheless some of the related areas are also discussed. Among others, they include problem solving in complex systems, judgmental and heuristic biases in decision making as well as characteristics of decision support systems in high risk industry. The inclusion of these topics clearly indicates the shift in attention of occupational safety from work activities on the shop floor to tasks of operators and supervisors in automated and semi-automated systems. The text will prove useful to students of psychology and human factors engineering. Additionally, it holds great utility for persons with an engineering background, such as industrial engineers, quality control engineers, system and design engineers and safety practitioners.

As the ergonomic aspect of many problems facing the industry today attracts more attention from the management, providing scientific knowledge and the know-how to solve such problems is becoming increasingly more important. The impetus for this book originated from the pressing need to make the state-of-the-art ergonomic information on workspace, equipment and tool design available to practising ergonomists, safety specialists, engineering designers, and business and technical managers. The book reinforces the notion that ergonomic data should be explicitly integrated in the design of a system, and should become an indispensable part of the overall design process in production engineering, on an equal basis with such activities as mechanical component design, quality assurance, maintenance, inspection, etc. The focus is on selected ergonomic data for workspace, equipment and tool design, with special emphasis on the practical aspects of applying the available information to specific problem areas.