August 29, 2024
TIPS TO MAKE YOUR OPERATORS COMFORTABLE & MORE EFFICIENT
In the high-stakes environment of a Control Room, ergonomics are crucial to operator comfort and efficiency. You don’t want operators, who are responsible for monitoring and managing critical infrastructure, exhausted, squirming in their seats and struggling to see the video wall.
Control Room design, however, is far more than a mere arrangement of equipment; it’s a strategic process that focuses on the well-being of the operators who must remain alert and responsive during long shifts. Explore the unique challenges faced in Control Room ergonomics, best practices for addressing them, and essential elements that Lamb’s Architects use in creating a space that promotes optimal operator performance and situational awareness.
EVOLVING CONTROL ROOM ERGONOMICS CONSIDERATIONS
Over the past decade, advancements in technology have significantly impacted Control Room ergonomic design.
- Sit-stand Consoles: Once seen as a luxury, sit-stand operator consoles are now a standard Control Room design feature, allowing operators to adjust their working position throughout their shift. Today’s monitors are larger, lighter, and offer higher resolutions, reducing eye strain and allowing for more ergonomic configurations.
- Lighting: Control Room lighting has also evolved to provide highly customizable light levels, color tuning, and circadian rhythm matching, crucial for a 24/7 operation.
- Operator Environment: Air quality of HVAC has become a focal point for operator comfort, with the development of ‘micro-environments’ that offer individual climate controls at each console.
- Sound Control: Carefully calibrated Control Room acoustics are enhanced by a multitude of wall finishes that absorb sound.
A DEEPER DIVE INTO CONTROL ROOM ERGONOMICS
Ergonomics, the study of people in their working environment, applies universally, but in a Control Room, the stakes are higher. Here, operators face challenges unlike those in typical office settings. It’s one reason there are specific Control Room ergonomic standards such as ISO 11064-4.
In Control Room design, the operator should be at the center of every decision, and the layout of the room should ripple outward from their needs.
Essential considerations include:
Determining console shape, style, and configuration. Assess the number and size of monitors, ensuring that operators can view all video displays comfortably, without excessive head tilt or lateral movement. Reach ranges, viewability, and the positioning of ancillary equipment (task lighting, environmental controls, power supplies, wiring paths, CPU locations, etc.) must be carefully considered to minimize operator strain.
Assessing lighting. Unlike standard office spaces, Control Rooms must balance general room lighting with the specific needs of each workstation. Lighting and video wall technology have a symbiotic relationship. Spending prolonged hours in a dark control room wears not only on the operators’ psyches but also causes physical fatigue. Having distinct bright spots within a dark space overworks pupil dilation from constantly adjusting to the extreme lighting variations. Modern Control Rooms have moved away from the dark, movie theatre-like environments of the past. Today, LED lighting technology allows for adjustable brightness and color temperature, reducing eye fatigue, supporting operators’ natural circadian rhythms, and increasing situational awareness.
Evaluating ancillary spaces. While the Control Room is typically the most secure room in the facility, operators still need access to restrooms, food, and a decompression space, such as an outdoor area, exercise room, or a quiet place to reduce the physical and mental fatigue operators endure during extended and around-the-clock hours.
COMMON ERGONOMIC PITFALLS
Despite these advancements, we regularly encounter Control Rooms that suffer from ergonomic issues. Poor room organization, improper console shapes, inconsistent lighting, and insufficient storage are common problems. When the Control Room is an afterthought in the facility design process, is lumped in with standard office space design, or has had its needs change over time without consideration for room upgrades, it is evident in the chaotic arrangement of consoles and equipment.
A well-designed Control Room prioritizes operator comfort, with a logical layout that minimizes unnecessary movement and ensures easy access to all essential tools and information, leading to more effective and efficient operations.
HOW TO ENSURE PROPER CONTROL ROOM ERGONOMIC DESIGN
Control Room ergonomics are not just about comfort—they are about enabling operators to perform at their best, especially in high-pressure situations. Partner with an experienced Control Room design firm that prioritizes ergonomics, from console layout and video wall placement to lighting and seating selection. It’s also key to select Control Center Architects and Engineers who will partner with you to addresses all needs: operational, facility, security, and IT, in a single design. These aspects of the Control Room function in harmony. A design that focuses on any one of these areas alone can cause an imbalance that impacts optimal Control Room functionality.
Ergonomics in the Control Room is not just about comfort—it’s about enabling operators to perform at their best, especially in high-pressure situations. By prioritizing ergonomic design, from the layout of consoles to the selection of lighting and seating, Control Rooms can be transformed into environments that support both physical well-being and operational efficiency.
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