College of Information Technology & Engineering

SFT 660

Human Factors in Accident Prevention

 

 

Instructor’s Name:                Dr. Allan Stern

                                                212 Communications Bldg.

                                                696-3069

                                                Stern@marshall.edu

 

 

                                                My office hours are generally posted outside the safety

                                                Office.  If you need to see me at any other time, please

                                                call and make an appointment.

 

Computer Requirements:      Ability to use Internet to conduct research.

 

Pre-requisite:                         None

 

Text:                                      

 

                                                Human Factors Engineering.  McCormick, Ernest J.,

                                                McGraw-Hill Company, N.Y., N.Y. 

 

Course Description:

 

            A study of the psychological principles and their applications to accident causation.

 

 

Desired Learner Outcomes:

 

            By the end of this course, the student will know the following:

 

  1. Detailed study of designing in safety – in the job, in the machine and in the environment.

 

  1. Review how controls and machines can be made more convenient and more comfortable and less confusing, less exasperating and less fatiguing to the user.

 

  1. Concern the student with the interaction (or interface) between man and his machine and man and his environment.
  2. Describe daily use of human factors engineering for the safety professional.

 

  1. Define human factors engineering and explain how it relates to safety.

 

  1. State three reasons why there is a need for Human Factors Engineering in the manufacturing industry.

 

  1. Explain the role of OSHA in the area of Human Factors

 

  1. State the estimated percentage of knowledge acquired through vision.

 

  1. Distinguish between accommodation and adaptation as it relates to vision.

 

  1. Distinguish between relative discrimination of sound and absolute discrimination of sound.

 

  1. Define masking as it relates to sound.

 

  1. List the three functions involved with information processing.

 

  1. Define human time lag.

 

  1. Define anthropometry and state how it relates to safety.

 

  1. State three basic considerations in selecting an adequate display.

 

  1. State the proper numerical progression when placing numbers on visual displays.

 

  1. State three advantages of using pictorial signs and labels.

 

  1. List three means used to identify machine controls.

 

  1. Define the term control/response ratio.

 

  1. State four major problems in the maintainability of equipment.

 

  1. Give four ways to reduce glare in the work place.

 

  1. State the advantages and disadvantages of insert-type hearing protectors and muff-type hearing protectors.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grading Policy:

 

      I use the standard 90%, 80%, 70% grading scale determined after all points form all assignments have been totaled at the semesters end.  All examination materials will come from lectures and text materials.

 

 

Policy Statement:

 

      This course is designed for the graduate student, safety professional working in the field.  It is concerned with the proper design and construction of equipment and how best to utilize the man and machine together in an efficient manner so as to minimize errors which cause accidents.  The student will or should be able to look at machines and see what is good or bad about the design and how this can cause accidents.

 

Attendance Policy:

 

      I will keep track of attendance, but it is your responsibility to determine if you can miss a class or not.  Since a large amount of the materials will be lecture it is to your advantage to come to class.

 

 

Assignments

 

      1.  Quizzes  3  @ 150 points

 

      2.  Journal  -  @100 points.  I want you to keep a weekly log over the course of the next semester.  You can write in this log or use a computer to keep track of your observations.  In this log I want you to start reflecting on the things you use in your everyday life.  How are they made?  How do they work?  Do they work efficiently? Do they not work?  Can they be improved?  Do you like/dislike the design, ergonomics, aesthetics, etc.?   Do this ongoing.  Take the log with you as you travel.  Do not wait till the last week to do this.  Try and correlate the classes with what you are observing.

 

 

3.  Paper – 100 points. 

 

         a.   How does the brain function and processes information?

         b.   What are the mechanics of ambulation?  How complicated is it?

         c.   Human Reliability and machine interaction.

         d.   Hand Eye Coordination and gaming technology

         e.   Vision and Perception in Flight Dynamics

         f.   Impact Dynamics & Human Survivability

         g.  Space Craft design and human habitation on long flights.

 

 

 

SFT 660

Schedule of Topics

Spring 2005

 

 

  1. The Things People Use  January 11, 2005

 

1.1    Human Factors Engineering defined

1.2    A bit of background

1.3    Concepts of a system

1.4    Characteristics of a system

1.5    Types of systems

 

  1. Human Factors in System Development  January 18, 2005

 

2.1    Basic processes in system development

2.2    Criteria in research and system development

2.3    Performance reliability

2.4    Human performance

2.5    Human factors data and use

 

  1. Human Sensory Process  January 25, 2005

 

3.1    Vision

3.2    Hearing

3.3    Cutaneous Senses

3.4    Kinesthetic Sense

3.5    Orientation Senses

3.6    Perception

 

       4.  Information Input Processes   February 1, 2005  (experiments for class)

 

4.1    Information in systems

4.2    Information theory

4.3    Channel capacity

4.4    Coding of sensory inputs

4.5    Organization of information

 

 

 

Quiz #1  February 8, 2005

 

 

 

 

 

5.  Visual Displays  February 15, 2005

 

5.1  When displays should be used

5.2  Errors in the use of displays

5.3  Quantitative visual displays

5.4  Displays in general

 

 

6.  Auditory and Tactual Displays  February 22, 2005

 

6.1  Auditory displays

6.2  Tactual displays

 

Workplace Design Chapter 13, 14 & 15

 

7.  Speech Communications  March 1, 2005

 

7.1  Characteristics of speech

7.2  Speech intelligibility

7.3  Components of speech communication

7.4  The message

7.5  The transmission system

 

8.  Mediation Activities  March 8, 2005

 

8.1  Information storage – retrieval

8.2  Acquisition of skills and knowledge

8.3  Conditions that contribute to learning

8.4  Training

8.5  Compatibility

 

Quiz #2 March 15, 2005

March 22, 2005  Spring Break

 

9.  Human Control of Systems  March 29, 2005

 

9.1  A theory of control

9.2  Conscious processes in control functions

9.3  The nature of continuous control systems

9.4  Displays and Controls

9.5  Compatibility of displays and controls in tracking

 

 

 

10.  Human Motor Activities  April 5, 2005

 

10.1   Bases of human motor activities

10.2   The measurement of physical activity

10.3   Energy expenditure in physical activity

10.4   Biomechanics of motion

10.5   Speed and accuracy of movement

 

11.  Controls, Tools and Related Devices  April 12, 2005

 

11.1   Identification of Controls

11.2   Design aspects of specific controls

11.3   Control Backlash and dead space

11.4   Response lag

11.5   Tools and other devices

 

      12.  Arrangement and utilization of Physical Space  April 19, 2005

             Human Error, Accidents & Safety  Chapter 20

             Human Factors and the Automobile  Chapter 21

 

         April 26, 2005  Paper Presentation

 

         May 3, 2005  Quiz #3