Improved Workstation Design - Shipboard workspaces and workstations should be designed to fit function and limited space through the application of HFE design principles. Work tables, counters, and equipment need to be designed and positioned so that they are not too high or too low for worker comfort. Working heights should be designed relative to the working height of the hands while avoiding sharp contact points. The work space must be compatible with the variety of heights, reaches, and strengths represented by crewmembers aboard Navy ships. Guidance can be found in DoD Design Criteria Standard - Human Engineering, MIL-STD-1472F and ASTM F1166-95 (Re-approved 2000) Standard Practice for Human Engineering Design for Marine Systems, Equipment and Facilities.

Adequate Lighting - Working in an environment with the correct lighting increases concentration while decreasing fatigue, tension, and the potential for making errors. Designers need to ensure that area lighting is suitable for the tasks that will be performed. Precision work requires high levels of well-balanced lighting. Computer work requires a lower level of illumination, but one that is relatively free from glare. Controls and displays require appropriate illumination to ensure rapid and accurate communication of information. Detailed guidelines for illumination of work spaces and design of signs, controls, and displays are provided in ASTM F1166 and ABS Guidance notes for the Application of Ergonomics to Marine Systems (see Resources section)

User Friendly Controls and Control Interfaces - User-friendly controls, displays, and warning signals are essential to provide for rapid and accurate communication of information. Design in accordance with ergonomics and human factors standards for the users is essential to reduce the potential for fatigue, which is a major contributor to error.

Alternative automated controls should be considered. A high fraction of displays on fixed machinery monitor parameters such as pressure and temperature that are easily measured by stable sensors which can be linked to a central control area. This minimizes the need to spend time walking through shipboard areas such as engineering spaces and allows improved integration of information through its central location. Additionally, it improves productivity by allowing Sailors to focus on inspection parameters that demand visual assessment and improve maintenance by providing better diagnostic information.

Surfaces with Anti-fatigue Properties - Surfaces with anti-fatigue properties are needed for crewmembers who stand for up to six hours during their watches or who work shifts to protect them from pain and stiffness in muscles and joints. Sit/stand stools or foot rails can also be used to reduce fatigue and discomfort.

Efficient/Reduced Maintenance - Maintenance procedures need to be taken into account during the space and equipment design process. Ship spaces and systems that require minimal maintenance and are designed with the operators' and maintainers' physical needs in mind will reduce Human Factors Engineering/ Ergonomics risk factors and resulting WMSD's.

•  Where improved (optimal) position for valves and other controls is difficult to engineer, electrically operated switching devices should be considered.
•  Timely maintenance, matching the tool to the task, supplying reduced-vibration hand tools such as jitterbug sanders and pneumatic grinders and wearing vibration dampening gloves greatly reduce the potential of Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome.

Minimize Lifting/Carrying - Designers need to meet the challenge of moving materials on, off, and within Navy ships in such a way as to minimize the amount of lifting and carrying by shipboard personnel. This issue will be increasingly important as ships are designed for operation with fewer Sailors. Simple configuration changes and supporting equipment can often reduce the difficulty of moving equipment. Many shipboard inclined ladders (stairs) are equipped with removable "slides" that allow boxes and other relatively light objects to be moved readily down the ladder without need for manual movement and carrying of each piece.

Padeyes or lifting points are often installed above ladders to allow sailors to rig a simple pulley. Padeyes installed for shipyard work may be removed at the completion of a project. Simply leaving these devices in place and arranging for period load testing can greatly simplify movement of certain equipment.

In an effort to meet the lifting challenge onboard ship, an ergonomics study team assembled by the Electrical Group at Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) investigated ways to improve cable pulling methods onboard Navy ships. The study team engineered a mechanically assisted cable pulling process that reduces the potential for injury to personnel and requires less time and effort. Operation of the new system requires only 7 to 12 workers instead of 30 to 70 using the old method. This also represents a decrease in time required from 35 man-days to 14 man-days. Initial tests aboard USS SAIPAN and USS NASSAU indicate a potential for reducing cable pulling time and costs by as much as 50% with no personnel injuries. [See Success Story Improved Ergonomic Cable Pulling Method]

Top

Designers of shipboard spaces and workstations need to take Human Factors Engineering and Ergonomics into account, which considers the physical and psychological capabilities and limitations of the crewmembers working or performing maintenance in those spaces. Incorporation of HFE/Ergonomics into system requirements, design development, and maintenance is not only required by DoD and Navy policy, it is an effective risk management tool that supports performance, maintainability and controls life cycle cost and the risk of injury and errors.

Tasks, workstations, equipment, and tools that are matched to the task and user help to reduce the risk of developing WMSDs by making it easier for the worker to avoid workplace risk factors. By incorporating Human Factors Engineering/Ergonomics at the earliest phases of planning and design in the acquisition process, the frequency and severity of WMSDs in Navy workplaces can be reduced or eliminated.

Recognizing that consideration of HFE/Ergonomics is an essential part of the acquisition process for Navy ships and ship systems contributes to the safety and health of Navy shipboard personnel. Ship spaces and systems that require minimal maintenance and are designed with the operators' and maintainers' physical needs in mind ensure mission readiness, enhance efficient operation, and increase immediate cost savings while reducing life-cycle and total ownership costs.

Top

•  DoD/Navy/ Guidelines/Requirements
•  Design Criteria
•  Standards
•  Other Websites & Training Dealing with Ergonomics/HSI
•  Additional References and Consensus Standards

Note: Military Standards and Handbooks can be obtained through the Department of Defense Single Stock Point (DODSSP) for Military Specifications, Standards and Related Publications http://dodssp.daps.dla.mil/ or the Acquisition Streamlining and Standardization Information System (ASSIST) http://assist.daps.dla.mil/online/start/ (password required).

The Department of Defense Index of Specifications and Standards (DODISS) contain the complete list of standardization documents in the DODSSP collection. The information contained in this reference publication is available online to all ASSIST subscribers, on CD-ROM for single issue, or in paper format from the Superintendent of Documents at the GPO Online Bookstore: http://bookstore.gpo.gov/collections/subscriptions/index.jsp.

Top

DoD/Navy Guidelines/Requirements

Defense Acquisition Guidebook  
Provides members of the acquisition community and industry partners with an interactive, on-line reference to policy and discretionary best practice (see Chapter 6 - Human Systems Integration).

Department of Defense Instruction (DODI) 5000.02  
"Operation of the Defense Acquisition System," 12/08/2008, requires the Project Manager to ensure HFE is addressed (see Section E7.1.1, Human Factors Engineering).

Defense Technical Information Center  
DTIC - provides human factors and ergonomics information analysis services to support research, design, and development of space, air, surface, and subsurface crew systems. Provides a variety of technical services that include responding to basic technical inquiries as well as addressing large-scale analytical tasks. It is a gateway to worldwide sources of behavioral, biomedical, and engineering information for engineers, designers, and human factors specialists.

Human Systems Integration  
A U.S. Navy website listing useful links related to the topic of Human Systems Integration

Human Systems Integration Success Stories
Success stories provided by Naval Sea Systems Command, Integrated Warfare Systems Engineering

OPNAV Instruction 5100.23G  
Navy Safety & Occupational Health (SOH) Program Manual - Chapter 23, Ergonomics Program, provides guidance on the development and implementation of an ergonomics program including hazard control methods.

SECNAVINST 5000.2D  
Implementation and Operation of the Defense Acquisition System and the Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System, dated 16 October 2008, calls for HFE principals to be applied throughout the acquisition process.

Top

Design Criteria

US Navy Amphibious Ship HFE/Safety Ship Design Lessons Learned Report (through App. F)
    Appendices G-I
    Appendices J-N
    Appendices O-R
    Appendix S
    Appendices T-U
    Appendix V
    Appendix W
    Appendix X

ASTM F1166-07  
American Society for Testing and Materials (Re-approved 2000) Standard Practice for Human Engineering Design for Marine Systems, Equipment and Facilities.

Directory of Design Support Methods, Defense Technical Information Center 
Annotated directory of human systems integration (HSI) design support tools and techniques that have been developed by the DoD, NASA, FAA, NATO countries, academia, and private industry.

Ergonomic Design of Navigation Bridges 
American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) has developed recommended guidelines for design of shipboard bridges.

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Human Factors Workbench 
A compilation of human factors practices and principles integral to the procurement, design, development, and testing of FAA systems, facilities, and equipment primarily focused on FAA ground systems and equipment such as those that are managed and maintained by Airway Facilities, but has general applicability also.

FAA HF-STD-001 Human Factors Design Standard 
This human factors design standard provides a single easy-to-use source of human factors design criteria to meet the needs of the FAA mission and systems. (Zipped file)

Guidance Notes for the Application of Ergonomics to Marine Systems 
American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) -. Additional ABS Guidance Notes on ergonomics are available via their website by searching under "ergonomics" or "human factors engineering") http://www.eagle.org/.

Human Engineering and Ergonomic Risk Analysis Process (HEERAP) 
A methodology that will facilitate the identification, analysis, and mitigation of design induced human injury risk was developed as a Defense Safety Oversight Council (DSOC) project. The product of that development, the Human Engineering and Ergonomics Risk Analysis Process (HEERAP), is presented along with a summary of how it was developed. The process offers the potential to identify, describe safety and human engineering risk factors, review approaches to their mitigation and document associated savings.
    Appendix A – HEERAP Process
    Appendix B – Human Injury Risk Matrix HEERAP
    Appendix C - Final Report

High Speed Craft Human Factors Engineering Design Guide 
Designed for Naval Architects, Academia, Procurement Agencies, Regulatory Bodies, and Human Factors Subject Matter Experts (see page 3). Source: High Speed Craft Human Factors & Craft Design web forum http://www.highspeedcraft.org/index.php

MIL-HDBK 759C 
DoD “Handbook for Human Engineering Design Guidelines” provides human engineering design guidelines and reference data (not a requirements document) for design of military systems, equipment, and facilities.

Top

Standards

Human Factors Standards and Handbooks 
Listing of HFE/Ergo related Standards and Handbooks with identifying numbers and brief descriptions.

Index of Government Standards on Human Engineering Design Criteria, Processes, and Procedures 
The focus of this Index is U.S. government standards in a list of documents clearly identified as standards by numbered identifiers and some standards-like documents.

Index of Non-Government Standards on Human Engineering Design Criteria and Program Requirements/Guidelines 
Includes standards, specifications, recommended practices, codes, guides, handbooks, etc.

MIL-STD-1472F
DoD Design Criteria Standard - Human Engineering (pdf 1.72 MB) - establishes general human engineering criteria, principles, and practices for design and development of military systems, equipment and facilities. Its purpose is to present these criteria, principles and practices so as to: a) achieve required performance by operator, control, and maintenance personnel, b) minimize skill and personnel requirements, and training time, c) achieve required reliability of personnel-equipment combinations, and d) foster design standardization within and among systems.

Top

Other Websites & Training Dealing with Ergonomics/HSI

Analysis Tools for Ergonomists University of South Florida 
Developed by Thomas E. Bernard of University of South Florida’s College of Public Health. The tools are organized into four categories: Basic, Qualitative, Semi-Quantitative and Quantitative.

Army Ergonomics Program 
Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine Ergonomics Program site provides information on assessments, training, program development, acquisition, publications, and policy relating to ergonomics.

Department of Defense (DoD) Ergonomics Working Group 
Site provides practical, user-friendly information on program development; organizational culture and change; metrics; program implementation and management; best practices; self assessments; cost benefit and return on investments; marketing and communication; ergonomic assessment tools, products, and intranet programs; workstation design; and research initiatives.

DoD Human Factors Engineering Technical Advisory Group (HFE TAG) 
Composed of technical representatives from the DoD, National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA), and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) with research and development responsibility in human factors and related disciplines.
    Technical Information Exchange  The primary product of the HFE TAG has been its role in and coordination of HFE research across DoD laboratories and other government agencies.  Sub-Tags 

Human Factors Research and Engineering Group 
Federal Aviation Administration provides scientific and technical support for the civil aviation human factors research program and for human factors applications in acquisition, certification, regulation, and standards.

Human Engineering and Ergonomics Risk Analysis Process, Improved Capability for Reducing Human Injury Risks 
Presentation quantifying Ergonomic/Human Systems Integration risk and costs to support system safety analysis.

Inventory of Human Factors Tools and Methods  
Aims to provide a 'catalogue' for browsing and some starting points for where to get more information on how to. Focus of inventory to includes product design and usability tools, as well as the beginnings of tools for senior managers making strategic decisions for their company. Inventory is also moving into more traditional 'engineering' design tools. This is done with a deliberate intent to blur the lines between 'ergonomic' tools and 'regular' tools, so as to support integration of human factors as a natural part of the design process. This inventory also includes listings of commercially available software for ergonomics analysis. Software has not been examined but is presented as possible leads for the reader to investigate to improve ergonomics in own design processes. Submission of tools or methods that could be added to this inventory is welcome.

MANPRINT 
Department of the Army system provides a systematic approach for review of safety, health and operational issues associated with design. This methodology may be used for Navy systems. An eight-day course in use of this system is available. Ranges of ergonomics courses with design focus are available through commercial and university sources. Courses (i.e., A-493-0085) are also available through the Naval Safety and Environmental Training Center.

National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH) Ergonomics and Musculoskeletal Disorders 
Publications and other resources related to Ergonomics and WMSDs.

NIOSH Reports Ergonomic Solutions in Shipyards 
These reports include problem summaries and a number of technical solutions to ergonomics problems including cost-effective "easy fixes."

Naval Facilities Engineering Command Safety and Health Ergonomics Pages  
Navy's clearinghouse for ergonomic related issues. The site contains resource for technical support to Navy Shore activities. Includes useful work site assessment tools, training modules, frequently asked questions in ergonomics, contacts to request additional information, and information on the Navy Mishap Prevention Program.

Navy Modeling and Simulation Management Office (NAVMSMO) 
Web-enabled single point of public access to the Navy's Modeling & Simulation Information Service (NMSIS). The NMSIS collects, maintains, and distributes information about Navy Modeling and Simulation (M&S) for the use of Program Managers, engineers, M&S builders, and others throughout the M&S community.

Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) eTools for Ergonomics 
OSHA has a four-pronged comprehensive approach to ergonomics designed to quickly and effectively address workplace musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs).

    Additional OSHA eTools relevant to shipboard and shipyard work include:
    Shipyard Employment: Ship Repair 
    Construction 
    Baggage Handling  
    Beverage Delivery 

University of Michigan Center for Ergonomics
Dedicated to a better understanding of work-related musculoskeletal disorders and principles of human-centered technologies and man-machine interaction. This work has provided a foundation for: models of human biomechanics; models and methods to analyze and support perceptual and cognitive work; and methods to analyze and design jobs for control of musculoskeletal disorders.

American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) - Ergonomic Assessment Toolkit
To provide basic general tool that maybe used by the Health and safety professional to determine job safety as it pertains to the repetitive motion, force exertion, rest/recovery period and work demands place on the hand region during the act of hand manipulation.