Aircraft pilot, train driver, car driver or being master of a ship – they’re all part of a complex system, responsible not only for controlling their own vehicle but also interacting with other people in similar vehicles wanting to share the same space. This is an inherently risky business, but most of the time, everything works okay. However, accidents do happen, and more often than not, they’re blamed on ‘human error’. Ergonomics and human factors can help us to understand why those errors are made, and to stop them happening in future.
Ergonomics can be applied to the physical aspects of vehicle design and control. Ergonomists would look at such aspects as the fit of the controller in the space and their ability to see, reach and effectively use displays and controls. Passenger compartments are considered to ensure the comfort and safety of people and those looking after them during the voyage.
Ergonomics in transport goes back a long way, with much of the early work being in aviation. In fact, one of the very early case studies in the late 1940s looked at how the standard design of cockpit altimeters at the time was causing pilots to misread their altitude by thousands of feet, causing a number of crashes. A simple ergonomic fix solved the problem, and saved many lives. Nowadays, aircraft are becoming ever more complicated, with computerised displays and sophisticated autopilot systems. The challenge for ergonomics and human factors is to ensure that the flight crew and the automation work together effectively for safety and efficiency in the air. It doesn’t stop with the pilots either; air traffic control is an equally complex and safety-critical job, and there are many human factors specialists working in aviation agencies all around the world to keep systems running smoothly.
More recently, ergonomists have had increasing input into ground transportation, too. Since Ladbroke Grove in 1999, an accident in which ‘human factors’ were heavily implicated, the rail industry has seen massive investment in ergonomics and human factors. People interact with the railway in many areas, from staff (train drivers, signallers, trackside workers) to public (passengers, level crossing users, even trespassers and vandals). So whilst these teams in the rail industry are addressing the issue of drivers passing red lights, they’re also solving wider problems such as slips, trips and falls at stations, and how to stop people taking chances at level crossings.
The lessons we’ve learned from aviation about autopilots are becoming more applicable to trains and cars. New in-cab train control systems and displays will not only improve how drivers receive signalling information, but will also act as a safety net to stop the train if the driver doesn’t respond to a red light. Likewise, there is an increasing number of cars on the road that can detect the possibility of a crash and warn the driver, or even take control of the car automatically to avoid the collision. Whilst these levels of automation sound like a good thing, there are ergonomics issues with taking control from the human operator that can actually make things worse. How does the driver know who’s in charge, for instance? Ergonomics isn’t about stopping technological progress in these fields, since in most cases the automation can offer significant benefits. But it is about finding the best ways of designing the system and the interface to work with the driver, rather than against them.
Meanwhile, physical ergonomics has more to offer for car drivers in terms of occupant packaging – making sure the seat, doors, instruments, and controls are laid out for comfortable use for the widest possible range of drivers. Various computer-aided design tools can model different sizes and shapes of people so that designers can see how different drivers will fit in the car. There have even been tools developed for designers to understand how users with limited abilities are affected, for example, the ‘Third Age’ simulation suit was worn by designers of the Ford Focus to experience the limitations in movement and vision of older drivers. They subsequently made sure that the needs of older drivers were catered for in the Focus.
Whether in the air, on the ground or at sea, ergonomics and human factors affects every aspect of transport.
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