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AA STANDARD ERGONOMICS - CONTROL ROOM DESIGN
AA STD 25 ISSUE 0 COPYRIGHT
1 2 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 3 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 4 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8
INTRODUCTION PART 1: CONTROL ROOM LAYOUT SCOPE DEFINITIONS GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR CONTROL ROOM LAYOUT ARCHITECTURAL/BUILDING RECOMMENDATIONS WORKSTATION ARRANGEMENTS PERSONNEL CIRCULATION AND MAINTENANCE ACCESS SCOPE DEFINITIONS GENERAL PRINCIPLES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN REQUIREMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS PART 3: LAYOUT AND DIMENSIONS OF CONTROL CENTRES SCOPE DEFINITIONS USER POPULATION VISUAL TASKS USER POSTURES POSTURE REQUIREMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS LAYOUT REQUIREMENTS SEATED CONTROL WORKSTATIONS
2 2 2 2 4 6 10 12 16 16 16 17 25 25 25 25 26 27 28 28 29 31 32
PART 2: ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS FOR CONTROL CENTRES 16
APPENDIX A : RECORD OF AMENDMENTS APPENDIX B : TYPES OF ARRANGEMENTS
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For information or comments on this document please contact ATD QA Anglo Technical Division accepts no liability for any damage whatsoever that may result from the use of this material or the information contained therein, irrespective of the cause and quantum thereof.
INTRODUCTION
This document establishes the requirements and principles when designing a control room which is ergonomically adequate. The specification is related to the ISO 11064 standards for Ergonomic Design of Control Rooms and Centres. The document is divided into three parts namely: Part 1: Control Room Layout Part 2: Environmental Requirements for Control Centres Part 3: Layout and Dimensions of Workstations
2 2.1
PART 1: CONTROL ROOM LAYOUT SCOPE

This part of the document is based on ISO 11064-3 which establishes the ergonomic principles for the layout of control rooms. It includes requirements, recommendations and guidelines on control room layouts, workstation arrangements, the use of off-workstation visual displays and control room maintenance.
2.2
DEFINITIONS
Control Centre Combination of Control Rooms, Control Suits and local Control Stations which are functionally related and all on the same site ( see Figure 1) Core Functional entity and its associated physical structure, where control room operators are stationed to carry out centralised control , monitoring and administrative tasks (see Figure 1) Group of functionally related rooms, co-located with the control room, and including it, which house the supporting functions to the control, such as related offices, equipment rooms, rest areas and training rooms (see Figure 1) Visual Display Unit.
Control Room
Control Suite
VDU
Find below illustrations of various definitions
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Figure 1: Schematic illustrations of control room, control suite and control centre
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Figure 2: Illustration of definitions associated with control workstation and off workstation visual displays
2.3
2.3.1
GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR CONTROL ROOM LAYOUT

Architectural Considerations
2.3.1.1 Entrances/Exits Main entrances and exits should not form part of the working visual fields of the control room operator, unless the operators have some specific responsibility for checking on the entry/exit of staff. Entrances and exits should not be positioned behind the control room operator. 2.3.1.2 Personnel Safety Guard rails and hand rails should be provided to minimise safety hazards in control rooms where various floor levels are found. 2.3.1.3 Future Expansion Control rooms should allow for expansion. Expansion shall be influenced by factors such as the built in life span of the control room and predicted changes in the workload. Typical allowances of approximately 25% increase in working positions and equipment has been found from practical experience. 2.3.2 Operational Consideration
2.3.2.1 Team Working The layout of control rooms should facilitate team working opportunities and social interaction for operators where this factor is deemed important for the primary task to be performed.
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2.3.2.2 Organisational Factors The control room layout should reflect the allocation of responsibilities and the requirements for supervision. 2.3.3 Workstation Arrangements
2.3.3.1 Room Layout Control rooms which are overcrowded or widely dispersed are not recommended. Layout should allow (wherever practical) the direct verbal communication between control room operators. 2.3.3.2 Consistency Control rooms with similar functions and in the same plant or facility, should adopt the same ergonomic principles of room layouts to facilitate decision making and teamwork. 2.3.3.3 Physically Disadvantaged Where physically disadvantaged control room operators or visitors are expected, adequate facilities should be provided. See Appendix A for more information. 2.3.3.4 Posture Variation The control workstation layouts should cater for control room operators to vary their postures during periods of work. 2.3.3.5 Body Size Room dimensions and control workstation layout dimensions should cater for a varying range of control room operators. 2.3.3.6 Windows Control Room operators using visual displays should not be facing windows unless these windows are a primary source of information. The location of control workstations where windows are behind operators should be avoided since this could lead to reflections on the display screen. If control room operators do have to face the windows whilst using visual display terminals, the difference in luminances should not lead to glare. 2.3.3.7 Off workstation shared visual displays The layout of the control room shall ensure that all off workstation visual displays that are necessary for operator tasks are visible from all relevant workstations. 2.3.3.8 Circulation of personnel and maintenance access The circulation of control room staff, maintenance staff and all visitors should be achieved with minimum disruption to the work of control room operators. Where it is anticipated that the supervisory positions will give rise to additional circulation from outside the control room, it is recommended that these positions be located close to main entrances.
Operational areas should have a means to restricting thoroughfare access. All aspects of control room layout should take into account the requirements for maintenance access. 2.3.4 Documentation All decisions regarding compromises, ergonomic considerations and evaluation criteria should be documented and stored so that future modifications can take proper account of these factors.
2.4
2.4.1
ARCHITECTURAL/BUILDING RECOMMENDATIONS
Plan Space Provision
2.4.1.1 Selection of Space The following factors must be considered: The selection of space for a control room must take into account the usable areas, not the gross area. Obstructions like pillars and awkward corners will reduce the available space. A heuristic value for planning floor space allocation is to allow for 9m2 to 15m2 per working position with a minimum not less than 9m2. If additional staff needs to be accommodated during off normal working hours within the control room, sufficient space must be catered for to house these staff members. Temporary positions should be provided alongside permanent control room operator positions, to house additional staff that are expected to be present during shift changes. Square, circular and hexagonal spaces are preferred for the arrangement of functional groups. See Figure 3
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Figure 3: Room Shape and functional layouts 2.4.1.2 Future Expansion Space provision should consider requirements over the entire life span of the control room and account should be taken of future increases in workloads, staffing and equipment. Where planned lifespan is in the order of 10 to 20 years then it is prudent to allow for up to 25% additional space for expansion. 2.4.2 Vertical Space Provision The following factors must be considered: Control rooms with a single floor height offer great flexibility for future changes. For a given control area, single height ceilings are preferred. As a rule of thumb a slab to slab height should be a minimum of 4m, to include false ceilings, false floors, lighting systems and accommodation of shared off workstation visual displays. A finished floor to finished ceiling height of at least 3m is desired. Uncluttered ceilings are desired to avoid distractions or stray reflections. Differing finished floor heights can sometimes offer advantages for viewing areas, supervisory overviews and a means of creating a public segregated area. To avoid safety hazards, ramps should be considered for movement of equipment and personnel.
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The viewing of shared off workstation visual displays by groups of control room operators, can sometimes be improved through the introduction of multi level floor heights.
Figure 4: Vertical Space Provision 2.4.3 Exits, Entrances and Walkways The following factors must be considered: The location and number of exits and entrances should take account of factors such as the number of control room operators and the functional links to areas outside the control room. A single main entrance and exit offers the best solution for security and staff control. Other emergency exits needs to be provided. Entrance location should take into account supporting functions like toilets, relaxation areas etc situated around the control room. The sizes of entrances/exits should allow for the passage of trolleys and accommodate control room operators and visitors with disabilities as well as movement of equipment and the introduction of any other maintenance equipment that may be needed in the control room. Entrances that are sized for equipment passage is usually adequate for persons with wheelchairs. See Appendix A for dimensions of wheelchairs and space requirements. Where the access into the control room is required for collection of work permits, keys etc adequate account should be taken of circulation routes and temporary waiting areas.
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2.4.4
Where counters are used for the receipt or collection of documents like work permits etc these often need to be near entrances for ease of accessibility. Proper physical aids such as handrails, anti slip surfaces etc should be introduced where changes to floor levels exists.
Windows Windows are provided in control rooms for operational, psychological and physiological reasons and not necessarily for illumination. The ratio of luminances for task areas that are frequently viewed in sequence (e.g. screen, document and windows) should be lower than 10:1. A luminance ratio of 100:1 between two areas would be expected to produce a small but significant drop in performance. A glare free usage of displays should be guaranteed. When windows are included in control room layouts the following factors should be considered: Workstations should not be facing windows unless they are a primary information source. Windows shall not be located behind the operator in order to avoid glare or disturbing reflections on displays. Windows shall have user operable blinds. Windows which are located to the left and or right hand side of the workstation shall have a minimum distance of 3m to the workstation. For the cases where operational information is obtained via windows the nature of this information shall be established. Windows shall be included in meeting and relaxation areas and offer and alternative visual environment to that in the control room. Primary control workstations shall be shielded from windows present in nonoperational areas of the control suite. Window size shall allow the control room user to get a glimpse of the environment. A light neutral tint is acceptable to reduce sky brightness but dark tints can make the outside world look too gloomy.
2.4.5
Visitors The following factors must be considered: Visitors should not see informal activities undertaken by control room operators, such as reading, taking refreshments etc. This may be achieved by minimising unobstructed sight of the control workstation work surfaces from all areas where visitors are likely to have access. The design of facilities for visitors should be taken into account from the beginning of the project. Where confidential information is presented, it should not be possible to see this from the public viewing areas.
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Public viewing areas should be designed so that control room operators do not feel that they are there for entertainment of the visitors. When raised viewing galleries are to be included in the control room, the impact these might have on natural and artificial lighting in the control room should be considered.
2.5
2.5.1
WORKSTATION ARRANGEMENTS
Plan Arrangements When considering alternative ways of laying out a number of control workstations the following factors should be taken into account: Whether control workstations are dedicated to individual operators or are shared. Whether each control workstation is identical. Whether all operations can be carried out from a single control workstation or tasks are spread amongst a number. Where a number of control rooms, operating on the same system are located on various sites or countries, they should adopt similar layouts. Adopting this approach facilitates the transfer of control personnel from one site to another and can reduce training time and errors. Control workstation arrangements shall take into account operations under normal and abnormal modes of system operation for example, fall-back arrangements for information transmission by paper or other non-electronic means. Where ventilation systems, light fittings and windows have already been installed, positioning of control workstations should take account of these to avoid draughts, glare and reflections on visual display screens. Social contact within the control room should be allowed for by grouping operators so that informal conversations can occur between individuals without compromising operator efficiency. Control workstation layouts should provide an operationally satisfactory working environment under both maximum and minimum staffing levels. Control workstation layouts should provide for convenient storage and display of all necessary reference documentation which control room operators require to access as part of their duties as well as items that are necessary during emergencies. Special consideration should be given to the requirements of the standing control room operator for appropriate reference storage, display and use. Where control workstations are grouped together, the minimum distances between adjacent positions should not result in individuals sitting within each others intimate zones. Whilst occasional close working may be acceptable, working positions adopted for extended periods should avoid control room operators having to intrude within each others intimate zones. Spacing between control room operators should take account of shared equipment, where consideration of common zones or potential problems of interface due to noise need to be applied.
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Approximate control workstation sizing for initial room layout purposes should take account of such factors as equipment size, flat worktop provision and the requirements for on-workstation storage and accommodation for workers and disabilities. When selecting room layouts, attention should be paid to training for control room operators, for example, additional space for equipment adjacent to normal operators position or a separate, discrete training workstation. Layouts should take account of maintenance requirements and access to space for technicians and equipment removal, particularly where this involves bulky items. The general arrangement of control workstations should be such that flow from general circulation areas is inhibited. However, the use of actual physical barriers to do this is not advocated. Control workstations should be positioned such that views of entrances and exits are minimised, to reduce visual distraction from the normal operating position unless operational requirements demand this.
2.5.2
Supervisory Control Workstation In some control rooms, certain control workstations are designed as supervisory and some of the following additional requirements can be associated with their location in the control room: Supervisory control workstations should take full account of the additional reference material which is sometimes required to be stored, displayed and used at these positions. In arranging supervisory control workstation layouts, an early decision needs to be taken as to whether the primary duties of the supervisors are to supervise the systems, the control room operators or both. Layouts should allow for additional circulation around supervisory positions and for the temporary accommodation of visitors. Where major incidents are handled from the supervisory area, the provision of extra vertical display surfaces needs to be considered for the presentation of maps, charts etc. Consideration should also be given to the additional space required by extra staff that sometimes needs to be accommodated in this area. Where major incidents are NOT handled in the supervisory area in the control room, provisions for a separate major incident area need to be considered in the control suite layout.
2.5.3
Vertical Arrangements When considering adopting a solution based on varying floor solutions the following drawbacks must be considered: Can restrict direct visual, verbal and social links. Can create obstacles to the movement of people. Movement of larger items of furniture can be restricted. Future changes in room layout can be more difficult and flexibility can be reduced.
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Variation in control workstation heights and location of control room operator can require particular attention to be paid to lighting and heating control. Wheelchair access needs to be provided by ramps, which require additional floor space.
2.6
2.6.1
PERSONNEL CIRCULATION AND MAINTENANCE ACCESS

Personnel Circulation The following factors must be considered: Adequate provision should be made for the general circulation, such that control operators are not interrupted by either visual or auditory distraction. Particular care should be taken to provide adequate circulation areas where shift changeover occurs and two shifts are present at the same time. The layout of the control room shall allow for the orderly evacuation of the room. Control room circulation routes should be arranged to avoid cross-circulation. Restricted ceiling heights should be indicated, the use of ceiling mounted waning signs can be considered. The following formula should be used for the minimum dimensions of circulation spaces where a single individual needs to pass with forward movement and in an upright posture. See Figure 5. Additional space should be allowed if tools and other items are to be carried. For non-emergency exits: A = h(P95) + x B = a(P95) + y For emergency exits: Aem = h(P99) + x Bem = a(P99) + y Where A is the opening height; Aem is the opening height for emergency exits; B is the opening width; Bem is the opening width for emergency exits; h is the stature (body height) a is the elbow-to-elbow breadth
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x is the height allowance (to allow adequate clearances for such items as helmets, caps) y is the width allowance (to allow adequate clearances for bulky clothing) P is the percentile P95 is 95th percentile of the expected user population P99 is the 99th percentile of the expected user population
Figure 5: Minimum Circulation space for personnel
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2.6.2
Maintenance Access The following factors must be considered: Space shall be allowed for maintenance such that inadvertent activation of equipment is avoided. Experience shows that items of equipment housed on mimic panels should be mounted at least 700mm above the finished floor height for reasons of visibility and access for maintenance. Rear access to control workstations is recommended since it allows control staff to continue their operations. Adequate clearance behind the control workstation should be allowed for a kneeling maintenance engineer to work. Some suggested space provisions based on world populations are presented as a guideline in Figure 6. Off work station panels and displays sometimes require maintenance access to rear. For such units, adequate space shall be allowed for the larger maintenance technician from the user population and consideration given to the use of ladders and carrying of tool boxes. Where heavy or bulky items of equipment need to be removed, the appropriate manual handling guidelines should be consulted. It is sometimes necessary to provide mechanical assistance or hoist points. Access to service ducts and serviced equipment should wherever practical, be from outside the control room.
Figure 6: Minimum Space requirements for maintenance of control panels

Figure 7: Minimum space requirements and allowances that need to be taken into consideration 2.6.3 Cleaning The following factors must be considered: Inadvertent activation of any safety critical control shall not be possible during cleaning. An adequate number of power outlets should be provided which will enable cleaning appliances to be used and maintenance to be undertaken without causing electrical interference or disturbing control room operations. Where gaps occur between items of equipment or furniture, adequate clearances should be allowed for cleaning to be undertaken. It should be possible for all necessary cleaning to be undertaken without interruption to control room activities. Special provision is sometimes required where food and other refreshments are permitted to be consumed in the control room. The control room layout should not give rise to unsuitable working postures or working movements for cleaning staff.
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3 3.1
PART 2: ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS FOR CONTROL CENTRES SCOPE

The environmental aspects associated with the design of man-machine systems needs to be addressed since poor environments can seriously affect operator performance. In control rooms, these environmental factors include lighting, humidity, temperature, vibration and noise. These factors also need to take account of shift work, real time operations under time pressure and the specialised equipment used in control rooms. This specification is primarily intended for non-mobile control centres but many of the principles are relevant to mobile centres such as those found on ships, aircraft etc.
3.2
DEFINITIONS
Contrast (subjective sense) Subjective assessment of the difference of two parts of a field of a field of view seen simultaneously or successively. Discomfort or impairment of vision experienced when parts of the visual field are excessively bright in relation to the brightness of the general surroundings to which the eyes are adapted. Glare resulting from specular reflections from polished or glossy surfaces. Ratio (X 100) between the partial pressure of water vapour in the air and the water vapour saturation pressure at the same temperature and the same total pressure.
Glare
Reflected Glare Relative Humidity
3.3
GENERAL PRINCIPLES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN

The following general ergonomic principles shall be followed for good environmental design: Operator task demands and comfort shall be primary focus when designing control centre environments. In order to optimise operators performance and comfort, levels of illumination as well as temperature shall be adjustable in accordance with the operators needs. Where conflicting demands exists between environmental features (i.e. thermal conditions, air quality etc) a balance shall be sought which favours operational needs. External factors providing operational information (e.g. security views etc) shall be taken into account when designing the control centre. Environmental factors work in combination and shall be taken into account in a holistic way, i.e. the whole environmental entity needs to be taken into account, e.g. interaction between air conditioning systems generating noise and the acoustic environment.
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Environmental design shall be used to mitigate the detrimental effects of shift work e.g. raising the environmental temperature early in the morning. The design of environmental systems shall take account of future change e.g. equipment , work station layouts etc. The quality of the working environment shall be integral part of the overall design process for control centres.
3.4
3.4.1
REQUIREMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Ergonomics and thermal conditions The design of an appropriate thermal environment needs to take account of such factors as building design, operator and climate factors. The following should be taken into account: The nature and range of operator activities (sitting or walking). The typical clothing to be worn by operators (including any special protective clothing). Operator number and shift patterns. Total heat dissipation generated by the equipment and lighting. The orientation of control room in respect of solar gain. The requirement, if any, of pressurised rooms. Thermal transfer from external walls. The number of doors and windows. Shielding properties of construction materials. The potential for shielding direct sunlight. The geographical location of the building.
Localised heat in control rooms due to thermal radiation or hot air should be avoided by suitable control of the climate conditions. Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems shall provide appropriate internal climatic environmental conditions. The following information is for a general guidance only and specialist advice should be sought where needed: During winter conditions: The operative temperate should be between 20 and 24 degrees Celsius. The vertical air temperature difference should be between 1.1m and 0.1m above floor (head and ankle level) should be less than 3 degrees Celsius. The surface temperature of the floor should normally be between 19 and 26 degrees Celsius, but floor heating systems can be designed for 29 degrees Celsius. The mean air velocity should be less than 0.15m/s.
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The relative humidity should be between 30 and 70 degrees Celsius.
During summer conditions: The operative temperate should be between 23 and 26 degrees Celsius. The vertical air temperature difference should be between 1.1m and 0.1m above floor (head and ankle level) should be less than 3 degrees Celsius. The mean air velocity should be less than 0.15m/s. The relative humidity should be between 30 and 70 degrees Celsius.
Figure 8: Main Factors in design of thermal, air quality and acoustic parameters
3.4.2
Ergonomics and Air Quality Airflows shall be controlled such that personnel do not suffer direct draughts. In order to help achieve this, the air velocity should be checked. Extractor grills should be located to avoid short circuits between inlets and outlets and to encourage even distribution of air throughout the room. Air conditioning/air handling systems should be designed so as to avoid vibration and minimise noise from the system. The HVAC system should be adjusted in order to maintain good air quality. The ingress of dust and other particles from the ceiling and floor to the HVAC system should be avoided. The location of ducts should take account of cleaning and maintenance requirements. Rooms such as toilets, canteens, locker rooms etc should be maintained at a lower pressure from other areas to avoid any odour ingress. Operators should be protected against air pollution through the air supply. Potential contamination by external sources of solid particles e.g. sand, construction, plant chemicals etc should be controlled through the design of the air handling systems. The control room should be supplied with outside air in sufficient quantities to dilute internally generated pollutants. Carbon dioxide concentrations should not exceed 1.8g/m3 [=910ppm] when the control room is at full occupancy.
The following protective measures should be taken into account when designing air provision systems for control environments: 3.4.3 The selection of non-toxic construction material (especially in case of fire). The separation of operators areas from equipment which might emit pollutants in the environment e.g. battery rooms etc. An appropriate air change rate which will reduce the concentration of the impurities. The presence of a specific safety procedures and personal protective equipment in case of suspected specific risk. The use of airtight control rooms in case of exceptionally dangerous and polluted working areas. The installation of gas detection systems. The installation of fire extinguisher systems using non-toxic products.
Ergonomics and Lighting The design of lighting should: Provide flexibility for a range of different tasks including paper based was well as electronic work to be undertaken by a range of different operators of varying ages etc.
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Optimise visual performance at the workplace. Minimise degradation in human performance. Enhance safety. Enhance legibility of information from both active and passive sources. Improve operator vigilance. Enhance the comfort and the health of the operator. Facilitate the reading of wall maps or reference material. Facilitate viewing of self-illuminated equipment such as CCTV monitors, warning indicators etc. Facilitate the reading of illuminated displays on control consoles. Facilitate the reading of off-workstation displays. The lighting arrangement should be appropriate for the visual demands of the tasks to be carried out in the working environment and take into account normal as well as emergency work as well as the effects of artificial and natural light. Operator controlled task lighting should not be a source of glare to other occupants in the room. Operators should have control of the local maintained illuminance associated with their workstation. Lighting schemes should avoid veiling reflections and reflected glare off screens. Lighting systems should take into account future changes in equipment, workstation layouts, operating procedures, and team working. The location of any windows, skylights and fixed luminaries should minimise the potential for generating reflections and glare. Natural references such as daylight through outside windows and plants should be used to enable control room staff to maintain linkage with the external world. Suitable control over natural light shall be provided to avoid difficulties of intense natural light. Account should be taken of the differing visual demands associated with the perception of data presented on an electronic screen and non screen information which could be in the same working environment. The needs of those with visual disabilities should be taken into account when preparing specifications.
The following information is for a general guidance only and specialist advice should be sought where needed: IIluminance levels on work surfaces where paperwork is undertaken should be maintained at a level of 200 lx to 750 lx with an upper limit of 500 lx where VDUs are used. Dimming should be provided with a lower limit of 200 lx on the work surface at all times.
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For working areas where mainly paper work is undertaken, an illumination level of 500 lx should be maintained. Electric lightning should achieve a glare index (UGR) of 19 or less for all work positions. Lamps with a general colour rendering index of over 80 should be used. High frequency control gear should be used to avoid flicker.
For indirect lighting: The average luminance on the ceiling or other surfaces lit directly should not exceed 500 cd/m3. The peak luminance should not exceed 1500 cd/m3.
The key considerations for control room lighting are presented in Figure 9 below.
Figure 9: Main Factors in Design of Lighting environments

3.4.4
Ergonomics and Acoustics In order to optimise the acoustic environment, the control room should be designed to: Reduce noise levels in the general environment around the control room. Reduce sound levels within the control room. Reduce reverberations times.
Acoustic design should take account of the following operational needs: Verbal communication between operators. Telephone conversations. Hearing Alarms. Performance decrements. Interference with cognitive functions e.g. domestic radios etc. Minimising operator annoyance e.g. noise from canteens etc. The loss of essential auditory information. An acoustic survey should take into account both internal and external equipment related noise sources and other generated noise. When the location of the control suite within the building is being determined, potential sources of external noise e.g. roads, machinery etc shall be minimised. Where external noise might provide information to the operators concerning the process they are controlling, this should be taken into account in the layout of the control suite. The effect of voice communication within the control room should be taken into account. Auditory alarms shall sufficiently distinguishable from background noise. Different frequencies and levels of loudness should be used to differentiate between alarm priorities and alarm sources. Where noisy equipment has been identified, it should be housed separately in acoustically modified rooms or surrounded with sound shielding. Noise from machines should be minimised by their removal from the control room or by measures to minimise this source of interference. Noise levels in control rooms should not cause hearing damage. The needs of those with acoustic disabilities should be taken into account of when preparing specifications.
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Figure 10: Main factors in design of acoustic environment The following information is for a general guidance only and specialist advice should be sought where needed: The ambient noise in the control room should not exceed 45db LAeq,T . The background levels should be in the range of 30 db to 35 db LAeq,T to maintain a degree of aural privacy.
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Auditory alarms should be approximately 10 db above the background sound spectrum of the control room in order to be audible and less than 15 db higher than the background to avoid startling staff and affecting speech communication.
3.4.5
Ergonomics and Vibration Control rooms should be positioned as far as possible from sources of vibration such as backup generators and compressors. Insulation shall be used to protect control room operators and their associated equipment from vibration transmitted from the general environment. If necessary, the control room floor, walls and ceilings should be isolated from vibrating structures by vibration absorbers.
3.4.6
Ergonomics and Interior design and aesthetics The ratio of dimensions determining the overall space should be taken into account when planning a control room. The colours, textures and materials should be selected to provide a pleasant working environment and a calming backdrop to the control activities being undertaken. The selection of furniture and control room finishes should humanise the working environment in contrast to other more mechanical areas of the plant. The selection of control operator seating should be based on ergonomic criteria. The choice of colour and finishes should be made with long term and 24hour usage and associated wear and tear in mind. Wall finishes should be pale rather that bright and the colours selected to avoid psychological effects, textured finishes help reduce reflected glare. The excessive use of either dark or light finishes on building structures or on furniture should be avoided. Excessively strong patterns seen as a backdrop to visual display units or other control equipment should be avoided. Where carpets are used, it should be of heavy contract grade and include a small random pattern with subtle colour variations. Large patterns and geometric designs should be avoided. Plants or other forms of visual relaxation should be provided to offer variation in texture and colour to the rigid geometry imposed by workstations, cupboards etc. The reflectance gradient should be consistent with normal expectations, with ceilings being generally brighter than walls that in turn are lighter than the floor finishes. Workstation finishes, general furniture and equipment finishes etc should be such that glare is eliminated. Large differences in colour contrast should be avoided on workstations, general furniture etc. Where glare from windows is unavoidable, means shall be provided to enable the impact to be minimised by the use of blinds, tinting glaze etc.
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The control room finishes should be selected to achieve a specific reverberation time based on the need for good verbal communication etc.
The following information is for a general guidance only and specialist advice should be sought where needed: The reflectance value of the floor finishes should be between 0.2 and 0.3. Wall finishes should have a surface reflectance of between 0.50 and 0.60. The surface reflectance value should not fall below 0.50 as values below this can increase the contrast between ceiling and walls and contribute to a gloomy environment. Where indirect lighting systems are used, ceilings should be white, should be of matt finish and should have a minimum surface reflectance of 0.8.
4 4.1
PART 3: LAYOUT AND DIMENSIONS OF CONTROL CENTRES SCOPE

This part of the document specifies ergonomic principles, recommendations and requirements for the design of workstations found in control centres. It covers primarily seated, visual-display based workstations. These workstations are to be found in applications such as transportation control, process control and security installations.
4.2
DEFINITIONS
Line of sight Percentile Visual properties of a character or symbol that determine the ease with which it can be recognised. Percentage of population of which specific characteristics fall below or are equal to a given value in a cumulative distribution. Three dimensional space in which an operator can comfortably reach and manipulate controls by either hand while assuming a posture of normally anticipated for the task
Reach Envelope
4.3
USER POPULATION
Workstations shall be designed to accommodate from the 5th to 95th percentile of the intended user population. When considering the user population, account shall be taken of all features likely to be exhibited by the intended users including gender, age, ethnic background and disabilities. Adjustability should be considered for those workstationrelated dimensions which do not accommodate the 5th and 95th percentile users. This might be achieved by adjustable desk heights, the foot clearances, viewing distances or the orientation of displays. See below some dimensions for a seated control console.
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Figure 11: Illustration of Key anthropometric dimensions of a seated control consol.
4.4
VISUAL TASKS
When arranging displays, the following factors and their interrelationship should be taken into account: 1. The eye height which depends on: 2. Anthropometric data of the user population. The postures of the users while accomplishing their tasks.
Viewing distances should be chosen taking full account of : Eye strain. The near point of the eye.
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The visual angle required to identify the characters on the screen. The task.
4.5
USER POSTURES
An operator assumes several postures while accomplishing a task, seated, standing, and alternating between seating and standing positions. As a general principle, seated workstations are appropriate for lengthy periods of operation and standing control workstations for occasional use. See below a table depicting ergonomic requirements as well as Operations and Postures.
Figure 12: Ergonomic Requirements for Workstations
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Figure 13: Operations and Postures
4.6
POSTURE REQUIREMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

General Posture requirements and recommendations include the following: The design shall accommodate the different viewing distances and the inclination of the normal line of sight for the varying postures. The reach envelope should accommodate the bent forward and erect postures only. The leg clearances should accommodate a 120o knee bend and a 10o ankle bend. Chairs shall be height adjustable, and the quality of chairs used and their durability should take into account that the operator chairs are normally used 25h a day, 7 days a week. Adequate forearm support should be provided.
4.7
4.7.1
LAYOUT REQUIREMENTS
Controls Keyboards should preferably be located in the centre of the operators usual works space. This could be in the front of a single display or centred between two displays as determined by the task analysis. If movable keyboards are used, sufficient space should be provided to allow swivelling of the keyboard around a vertical axis, in a clockwise or counter clockwise direction from normal.
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The keyboard should also: Have an inclination of 5 to 15 degrees Height (from side) < 20mm Height above work surface (middle row) < 30 mm Distance between key top: 17mm to 19 mm
A minimum space of 150mm deep and the width of the keyboard shall be available for supporting the operators forearms and wrists in front of the keyboard. The control workstation design shall be ambidextrous as far as the placement of one-handed devices such as a mouse etc. There shall be adequate space and cabling facilities to place such devices to the left or right of the user. Similar ambidextrous requirements shall be considered for mouse only control workstation designs. Other requirements include: A space available for placement of a 200 X 240 mm mouse pad. The space shall allow for swivelling of the mouse around a vertical axis in a clockwise and counter clockwise direction from normal. A minimum space of 150mm deep and the width of the mouse pad shall be available for supporting the operators forearms and wrists in front of the mouse pad.
The use of shared devices i.e. one keyboard, mouse for multiple display devices is preferred over having dedicated keyboards for each display device. Ideally, the system software should self select the controlled display as the pointing symbol (cursor) is moved from one display to the other. Input devices shall not compete for work surface space with other items such as telephones, operating manuals etc. Frequently used controls should be within reach of the operator working in an erect work posture and from the expected work locations at the console. Frequently used controls shall not be positioned above the shoulder height of the 5th percentile user. Input devices (control, keyboard, mouse etc) should preferably be freely moveable over the work surface in front of the displays. The height of the keyboards, mice, trackballs and other input devices should be approximately at or below the elbow height of the seated operator.
4.8
SEATED CONTROL WORKSTATIONS

For a workstation for seated postures, the following dimensions are significant (see Figure 11), they include: Vertical, horizontal and lateral clearance of legs, knees, and feet under the work surface; sufficient clearance shall be available for the tallest users legs (95th percentile). Work surface at or slightly below elbow height. Support for the buttocks and legs and support for the lower back.
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Height of the seat pan, sometimes a foot rest may be necessary. The seat height shall be adjustable. Controls within optimum or maximum reach envelopes depending on frequency, priority of use. If the user population is highly variable is size, an adjustable work surface may need to be considered e.g population of males and females together with a mix of users from other countries etc. As many users as possible should be able to rest their feet on the ground (i.e. not be hindered by a small foot rest); the implication of this recommendation is that the thickness of the table surface is minimized, 40mm being maximum.
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APPENDIX A : RECORD OF AMENDMENTS Issue 0 : New document
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APPENDIX B : TYPES OF ARRANGEMENTS
Figure A1: Types of Arrangements
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Figure A2: Use of Awnings to reduce the glare of the sky
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Figure A3: Examples of General Workstation Groupings
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Figure A4: Examples of General Workstation Groupings (Continued)
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Figure A5: Examples of Workstation grouping and Supervisor Positions
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Figure A6: Examples of Workstation grouping and Supervisor Positions (Continued)
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Figure A11: Turning space necessary for a wheelchair.
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Figure A12: Anthropometric Data of the World Population.
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AA STANDARD ERGONOMICS - CONTROL ROOM DESIGN

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PART 2: ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS FOR CONTROL CENTRES 16

APPENDIX A : RECORD OF AMENDMENTS APPENDIX B : TYPES OF ARRANGEMENTS

AA STANDARD ERGONOMICS - CONTROL ROOM DESIGN

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PART 1: CONTROL ROOM LAYOUT SCOPE

Find below illustrations of various definitions

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GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR CONTROL ROOM LAYOUT

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AA STANDARD ERGONOMICS - CONTROL ROOM DESIGN

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AA STANDARD ERGONOMICS - CONTROL ROOM DESIGN

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AA STANDARD ERGONOMICS - CONTROL ROOM DESIGN

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AA STANDARD ERGONOMICS - CONTROL ROOM DESIGN

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AA STANDARD ERGONOMICS - CONTROL ROOM DESIGN

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PERSONNEL CIRCULATION AND MAINTENANCE ACCESS

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Figure 5: Minimum Circulation space for personnel

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Figure 6: Minimum Space requirements for maintenance of control panels

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AA STANDARD ERGONOMICS - CONTROL ROOM DESIGN

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PART 2: ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS FOR CONTROL CENTRES SCOPE

Reflected Glare Relative Humidity

GENERAL PRINCIPLES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN

AA STANDARD ERGONOMICS - CONTROL ROOM DESIGN

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REQUIREMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

AA STANDARD ERGONOMICS - CONTROL ROOM DESIGN

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The relative humidity should be between 30 and 70 degrees Celsius.

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AA STANDARD ERGONOMICS - CONTROL ROOM DESIGN

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Figure 9: Main Factors in Design of Lighting environments

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AA STANDARD ERGONOMICS - CONTROL ROOM DESIGN

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