These checklists identify any bottlenecks in existing control rooms, panel rooms and other relevant human machine interfaces, and include a checklist for project management purposes. The relevant checklist can also be used to determine the scope of a new building and/or HCI project.
1. CONTROL ROOM
n.a. yes no specification SPATIAL CONFIGURATION
1 Are the consoles configured in accordance with the logical process sequence? console configurations of the various parts of processes?
5 Have mirror-image configurations been avoided for identical processes?
6 Have efforts been taken to minimize reflections in the console configuration?
7 In the console layout (one on top of the other, C-form, U-form, circle), has account been taken of the number of operators controlling the process? Has account been taken of "normal" operating conditions?
8 Has it been made possible for operators to retain an overview of the control room even with minimum manning (e.g.: visibility of panels, acoustic alarms, etc.)?
9 Has the need been avoided for operators to constantly walk back and forth in the control room, with minimum manning?
10 In the console configuration, has account been taken of the fact that during an upset an operator can cope with 3 monitors at maximum (e.g., an overview monitor, detail monitor and alarm display)?
SPACE REQUIREMENT
11 Is there sufficient space in the control room for:
- required overview of the entire configuration
- console maintenance (N.B.: including access behind 12 Is the configuration of the other workplaces functional?
n.a. yes no specification 13 Has account been taken of the tasks to be performed, e.g.
working surface of sufficient size for reading drawings, and sufficient chair space for discussions?
14 Is it critically important for the console to be visible from these workplaces and has account been taken of this (note: height of plant pots, dividing walls, etc.)?
15 Has the fitting of ventilation grilles directly above workplaces been avoided?
16 Have measures been taken so that operators do not feel hemmed in, particularly in small control rooms (< 36 m2), e.g. by means of: vertical glazing panels in walls;
windows; wall decorations, etc.?
17 In the control room layout, has sufficient attention been paid to ensuring that normal speech is intelligible?
18 Has the housing of "unnecessary" equipment in the control room been avoided (because of the heat and noise generated, such equipment should be housed in separate rooms as far as possible)?
DAYLIGHT/WINDOWS
19 As regards the ingress of daylight and windows, has sufficient account been taken of specified minima (e.g.
area of light-admitting openings to be 1/20 of floorspace, total width of light-admitting openings to be 1/10 of room perimeter)?
20 Are the windows sufficiently blinded against sunlight glare (e.g. by using vertical light-obscuring slats)?
21 Has sufficient account been taken of the required luminance ratio (10:3:1)?
2. CONSOLE LAYOUT
n.a. yes no specification DIMENSIONS AND FORM
1 Do the console dimensions comply with anthropometric data, for seated and standing personnel?
- height of monitor
- angle of monitor to horizontal - height of working surface - depth of working surface - leg room underneath console - thickness of working surface
- use of double monitors (one on top of the other) - footrests and their angle to horizontal
2 Is there sufficient room for:
- writing by operators - communication facilities
- support of lower arms and wrists, etc.
3 Are the graphic panels with alarms placed up in the tertiary face zone?
4 Is there sufficient writing space for operators alongside a fixed keyboard?
5 Have measures been taken to ensure that loose keyboards cannot drop off the console (note: cord length)?
CONFIGURATION
6 Can operators sit straight in front of the most important monitors?
7 Are monitors set at the right working height and the right angle for operators, including any standalone PCs?
8 Is information displayed on monitors compared in the been allowed for several operators to work at the console (upsets, calamities, etc.)?
11 In the selected number and positioning of communication facilities, has the need been avoided for operators to constantly move around?
12 Is there sufficient room for instrumentation staff to work?
13 Is accessibility for maintenance adequate?
14 Can components be readily fitted and dismantled?
15 Can cables be readily routed through the console?
3. PHYSICAL FACTORS
n.a. yes no specification LIGHT
1 Is the lighting plan attuned to the configuration of the various workplaces (to avoid reflections)?
2 Are there blinds (which shall limit sidelong light emission to 40 degrees relative to horizontal) to prevent reflections?
3 Does the illumination at the operator's working surface measure 200 lx to 500 lx?
4 Is the illumination variable (dimmer)?
5 Is the illumination variable from the console?
6 If colour monitors are used, has a maximum permissible horizontal illumination of 320 lx been allowed for?
7 Do the luminance ratios between the visual task, immediate surroundings and periphery comply with the ratio 10:3:1?
8 As regards the placement of the light fittings, has it been ensured that they do not fall in the operator's field of vision, in relation to the monitors?
9 Does the colour temperature lie between 3300 K and 4000 K?
NOTE: 3300 K with limited ingress of daylight or 4000 K with daylight plus artificial light.
10 Is the colour reproduction index (Ra) of the fluorescent lamps approximately 83?
CLIMATE
11 Does the climate control take account of the heat generated by the number of operators and equipment?
12 Is the air refresh rate by mechanical ventilation approximately 50 m3 per hour per operator?
13 As regards the intake of outdoor air, has account been taken of abnormal circumstances (which could adversely affect quality - risk of noxious and other odours)?
14 Have measures been taken to counteract the spread of dust and/or fibres?
15 Is the installation sufficiently maintenance-friendly (inspection and cleaning facilitated)?
16 Is equipment which may result in "dry air" kept outside the control room (e.g.: printers, photocopiers, etc.)?
17 Does the indoor climate during the heating season satisfy the following criteria:
n.a. yes no specification - average convection and radiation temperature between
21 °C and 23 °C?
- air temperature difference between 1.1 m and 0.1 m above floor level less than 3 °C?
- average air speed lower than 0.15 m/s?
18 Does the indoor climate outside the heating season satisfy the following criteria:
- Average convection and radiation temperature between 23 °C and 26 °C?
- air temperature difference between 1.1 m and 0.1 m above floor level less than 3 °C?
- average air speed lower than 0.25 m/s?
19 Is there sufficient and effective sun blinding?
20 Is the heating controllable by the operator?
NOISE
21 Have sufficient measures been taken to eliminate unwanted noise so as to improve the intelligibility of speech? For example: fan noise, acoustic alarms, communication, noise from adjoining rooms, noise of opening doors, silencer hoods for printers, etc.
22 Are the acoustic alarms adjustable?
23 Are there silence settings on the alarms?
24 Is the monitor feedback signal adjustable?
25 Is the sound level below 45 dB(A) in the control room?
26 Is the monitor sound level below 55 dB(A)?
4. USE OF MATERIALS AND COLOURS; FURNITURE
n.a. yes no specification MATERIALS
1 In the choice of materials, has account been taken of the implications for noise, light and temperature?
2 Are the materials antistatic?
3 In the choice of floor coverings, has attention been paid to:
readily cleanable, shifting of office chairs along console, soiling tendency, luminance ratios, etc.?
4 Do the chairs have sufficiently rugged upholstery?
5 Have "warm" materials been used in contact areas between parts of the body and furniture and/or console?
COLOUR SCHEME (see also Appendix 6)
6 In the room's colour scheme (walls, ceiling, furniture), has account been taken of the correct luminance ratio?
7 Have excessively "striking" colours been avoided, particularly for the larger areas?
8 Does the colour scheme satisfy the following criteria: light colouring for the ceilings, some degree of colouring for the walls and darker colouring for the floor?
9 Do diffuse reflections in the control room satisfy the following requirements:
- ceiling > 60 % - walls 40 % to 60 % - floor 15 % to 20 %
10 At the transition between the monitors and the other areas of the console, have the correct luminance ratios been allowed for?
FURNITURE
11 Does the furniture (office tables, etc.) comply with (6.5)?
- office table dimensions: width 1200 mm - height adjustable: 620 mm to 820 mm - sufficiently deep monitor area
- sufficiently rugged
12 Do the control room/office chairs comply with the following requirements:
- swivelling 360°
- seat height 410 mm to 530 mm
- backrest depth adjustable: 400 mm to 440 mm - high backrest, adjustable in height (at least 370 mm) - armrests adjustable: 200 mm to 270 mm
- tilting mechanism lockable in 3 positions - chairs rest on 5 points
- sufficiently sturdy
Are there adequate facilities (integrated cable trunking, etc.) for routing loose cables?
5. INFORMATION DISPLAYS; CONTROLS
n.a. yes no specification CONTROLS
1 Are response times attuned to the various activities, e.g.:
valve closure 0.1 s., call-up display 2 s, call-up trend 5 s, error message 4 s, next page 1 s?
2 If response times are exceeded, is the operator given feedback about response times?
3 As regards the movement effect of controls, has the required compatibility been taken into account?
4 Do keyboards without tactile feedback have acoustic feedback?
5 Does the acoustic feedback ("beep") have adjustable volume?
6 Do keyboard layouts allow for correct wrist posture?
7 Are keyboard layouts consistent (e.g. QWERTY)?
8 Is there a separate numeric keypad for keying in many figures?
9 Is cursor operation in accordance with the PC applications?
10 Does the cursor obstruct legibility of the display?
11 Does the cursor flash only when immediate action is required?
12 Does the cursor bear no similarity to a symbol otherwise in use?
13 In the choice of tracker ball, mouse or touch screen, has attention been paid to required/desired degree of precision?
14 Is there consistency in the tactile or acoustic feedback of controls?
INFORMATION PRESENTATION
15 Are equipment items displayed on the pictorials which cannot be operated?
16 Has static and dynamic information been ranked according Attention Hierarchy methodology?
17 Are data displayed which are not relevant for process control?
18 Is there a standard layout for each monitor?
19 Is there consistency in the location of data on the monitor?
20 Have intersecting lines been avoided as far as possible?
21 Are the symbols as realistic as possible?
22 Are the touch targets big enough (2 cm2) to avoid unwanted action.
23 In the grouping of information, has account been taken of the conceptual model that the operator has of the process?
24 Has order been observed in the grouping principles applied:
firstly, layout options (symmetry, free space, framing, form, size, different font), then colour or luminance differences?
25 In the presentation of numbers, has a grouping principle been applied?
26 Is the text displayed limited to that which is needed to make a decision?
27 Has the use of upper case only been avoided with long texts?
28 Have complete words been used as far as possible, avoiding unnecessary abbreviations?
n.a. yes no specification 29 Is there consistency in the use of abbreviations?
30 Has the use of constantly flashing symbols during normal operating conditions been avoided?
31 Has the flashing of information that has to be read been avoided?
32 Is the use of colours based on requirements of this DEP?
33 Is there a test button for lamps?
34 Are more than two acoustic signals used?
35 Are the acoustic signals at least 15 dB(A) louder than background noise?
6. PROJECT ORGANISATION WITH RESPECT TO ERGONOMICS
1. Is a Plan of action for ergonomic design and instruction available, including references to the appropriate standards and specifications (ISO, IEC, etc.)?
2. Have Human/Machine interfaces been evaluated with respect to the potential impact on business drivers (e.g. operability, maintainability, health, legal, etc.) as input to define the HFE scope of the project?
3. Are awareness sessions for management being held?
4. Have training/information sessions for lead-discipline engineers been organized?
5. Has a screening review or HFE design analysis (see DEP 30.00.60.10-Gen, Appendix 4) been executed?
6. Has a Task and Link analysis been conducted resulting in a relashionship diagram, including m2 needed per function? Did all stakeholders participate?
7. Has a lighting plan been prepared and integrated in the HFE Construction plan?
8. Has a (simple) 3D CAD drawing (see Appendix 2) been delivered of the future control room building and critical interfaces to improve communication with all stakeholders, minimise approval cycles and achieve general acceptance of the new design?
9. Are operations and maintenance end-users participating in the project team:
- during engineering and design?
- during procurement?
- during construction?