- Email: [email protected]
Warnings Vol. II: Annotated bibliography with topical index
scientific material in print within months rather than within years is self-evident, it is also true that some readers may feel that at first glance a volume such as this does not contain 'quality' material. To these I would say persevere, you may be pleasantly surprised! Indeed, there are a number of papers amongst the 32 included which provide important reviews of methods and insights for the future. The editors have selected papers under six sections, each commencing with an invited paper and followed by between two and eight submitted papers from a wide cross-section of ergonomists engaged in both research and practice. To some extent the sections chosen seem arbitrary as many papers would seem to fit more than one category, this being perhaps more a reflection on the art (or science?) of good ergonomics than on the editors. Briefly, these categories are: Subjective assessment; Computers in ergonomics design and evaluation; Human-computer interface evaluation; Assessment of the thermal environment; Task, safety and systems analysis; and, finally, Assessment of physical and mental workload. The seven invited papers - whilst all useful review papers -- have not all fulfilled the 'new' element with respect to the methods considered. They do all, however, provide a firm base on which to judge the papers which follow. Highlights of the proceedings for me were Shipley's paper, which provides insights into aspects of validity and value and which will strike a chord with habitual questionnaire users; a highly readable review of visual fatigue and its measurement (Megaw) and Drury's thoughts on computerised data collection and the prospect of talking hammers!
is a comprehensive treatment of the theoretical basis and design parameters for warnings, together with experimental methodology for evaluating their effectiveness, This i~ divided into four sections: I. II. III. IV.
Warnings: their complexity and relationship to information processing The effectiveness of warnings Types of warnings, their application and design Advanced topics (introducing knowledge-based approaches to human performance).
The authors wrote for a varied professional readership, which they list as lawyers, product designers, safety ergonomics and human factors professionals, and members of standard-making organisations. Volume II is a compendium of 368 annotated references on warnings. The index is excellent, being subdivided to identify topics, primary authors and date of publication. The date index is an interesting arrangement, making it possible to trace the. development of studies in the field. The peak years were 1978-1980 with 36, 38 and 41 relevant papers published, of which the most popular topics seem to have been consumer products, vehicle safety and risk perception/ evaluation. Overall, 20% of the references relate to transportation safety and driver behaviour, 20% to general or theoretical human factors or psychology studies, 20% to general safety symbol/sign research, 10% to consumer/user behaviour and 10% to standards. The topical index includes 16 major topics, which are further subdivided, covering information theory to educational/persuasive programmes, and symbol/ message design to litigation.
The real usefulness of these proceedings must be judged by each reader in terms of his or her own application of ergonomics and by the results achieved using each method. What is clear, though, is that fresh methods continue to be applied to old and new problems, which bodes well for research and for sales of the proceedings!
Christine Haslegrave
Peter Buckle
The disability scene (2rid Edn)
Books received Compiled by Anne Rehahn London College of Furniture Library, 41 Commercial Rd, London E 1 1LA, pp 75 + 35, £4.00.
Warnings Vol I: Fundamentals, design and evaluation methodologies Vol I I: Annotated bibliography with topical index
A library reference list for designers and makers of equipment for people with disabilities. 2nd edition 1985 with 1987 supplement.
James M. Miller and Mark R. Lehto Fuller Technical Publications, Ann Arbor, 1987,
The ergonomics payoff - d~igrdng the electronic office
ISBN 0-940537-01-X, pp 287 + xii and 288 + ix. Mark Lehto and James Miller note in their preface that warnings are becoming more important in human factors and product design, while engineering and legal decisions are being made which lack the necessary scientific basis. Their pair of volumes makes a substantial contribution to remedying this, providing a large collection of material which outlines the state-of-the-art and which is easily searched. Volume I reviews "warning-related human factors and safety research, the modelling of how persons cognitively process information, and the describing of how methods like knowledge engineering could be applied in the structuring of answers to warnings design and effectiveness questions". It
74
Applied Ergonomics
March 1988
Rani Lueder (Ed) Holt, Rinehart and Winston of Canada Ltd, Toronto, 1986,
ISBN 0-03-921998-4, pp 388, £49.50. Social, eraonomic ~ computer=
s.,~em ~
o f ~ ~
G. Sa/vendy, S~L. Sourer and J.J. Hurret/, Jr (Eds)
Elsevier Science P u b l ~ r s BV, A ~ r d a m , 1~7, ISBN 0.444:42B47:X, pp 373, US S ~ : . ~ ; D r 210:00. Proceedings of the second international conference on human-computer interaction, Honolulu, Hawaii, 10--14 August 1987.
Successful accident prevention - recommendations
Ergonomic interventions to prevent musculoskeletal
and ideas field tested in the Nordic countries
injuries in industry
Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki, 1987, ISBN 951-801-612-7, pp 77.
Lewis Publishers Inc, Chelsea, Michigan, 1987, ISBN 0-87371-103-3, pp 172, £30.85.
The final report of the Nordic co-operative programme of effective accident prevention methods.
Papers presented at a symposium of the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists on 9 - 1 0 October 1986.
Ergonomics sourcebook - a guide to human factors information
Ergonomics in developing countries
K.H. Pelsma (Ed) The Report Store, Lawrence, Kansas, 1987, ISBN 0-916313-12-3, pp 276 + xvi
Proceedings of the international symposium on ergonomics in developing countries, held at Jakarta, Indonesia, on 18-21 November 1985.
BS 6841 : 1987 Measurement and evaluation of human exposure to whole-body mechanical vibration and repeated shock British Standards Institution, London, 1987, ISBN 0-580-16049-1, pp 24.
International Labour Office, Geneva, 1987, ISBN 92-2-105755-0. pp 646, Sw Fr 60.00.
Psychophysiology and the electronic workplace A. Gale and B. Christie (Eds) John Wiley & Sons Ltd, Chichester, 1987, ISBN 0-471-91272-7, pp 351 + x, £36.50.
\
/
Applied Ergonomics Handbook 2nd Edition lan Galer This extensively revised new edition of the Applied Ergonomics Handbook will be welcomed by all designers, managers and students concerned with ergonomics. Ten new chapters discuss the design of workplaces, displays and controls and the layout of panels and machines. Vital factors which affect the quality of the work environment such as noise, vibration, lighting and climate are examined with supporting case studies. Industrial designers and departments of engineering and management studies will find the second edition a highly relevant addition to their libraries.
Contents:Introduction • Ergonomics- introduction and applications • Approachesand models in ergonomics
• The design of displays • The design of controls • Layout of panels and machines • Anthropometry and the design of workplaces • The environment: climatic factors • The environment: noise and vibration • The environment: vision and lighting • Work organisation and job design • Case studies of the applications or ergonomics. 1987 232pages 234x156mm 0408008806 Softcover Illustrated £19.95 For details of other Butterworth Scientific titles, please contact the appropriate office. Orders should be sent to the appropriate office listed below. The UK headquarters serves all UK and overseas markets except where there is a local Butterworths office.
\
United Kingdom Cuetomerl In ~ may order through: Butterworths, Borough Green Butterworth & Co (Asia) Pie Ltd Sevenoaks, Kent TN15 8PH 30 Robinson Road, Unit 12-O1 Tuan Sing Towers England Singapore 0104, Republic of Singapore Auetmlle • Pepua New Guinea New Zealand Butterworths Pry Ltd, PO Box 345 Butterworths of New Zealand Ltd North Ryde, New South Wales 2113 33-35 Cumberland Place Australia Wellington 1, New Zealand
USA & Canada Butterworth Pubhshers 80 Montvale Avenue Stoneham, MA 02180 USA
Applied Ergonomics
March 1988
75
is a comprehensive treatment of the theoretical basis and design parameters for warnings, together with experimental methodology for evaluating their effectiveness, This i~ divided into four sections: I. II. III. IV.
Warnings: their complexity and relationship to information processing The effectiveness of warnings Types of warnings, their application and design Advanced topics (introducing knowledge-based approaches to human performance).
The authors wrote for a varied professional readership, which they list as lawyers, product designers, safety ergonomics and human factors professionals, and members of standard-making organisations. Volume II is a compendium of 368 annotated references on warnings. The index is excellent, being subdivided to identify topics, primary authors and date of publication. The date index is an interesting arrangement, making it possible to trace the. development of studies in the field. The peak years were 1978-1980 with 36, 38 and 41 relevant papers published, of which the most popular topics seem to have been consumer products, vehicle safety and risk perception/ evaluation. Overall, 20% of the references relate to transportation safety and driver behaviour, 20% to general or theoretical human factors or psychology studies, 20% to general safety symbol/sign research, 10% to consumer/user behaviour and 10% to standards. The topical index includes 16 major topics, which are further subdivided, covering information theory to educational/persuasive programmes, and symbol/ message design to litigation.
The real usefulness of these proceedings must be judged by each reader in terms of his or her own application of ergonomics and by the results achieved using each method. What is clear, though, is that fresh methods continue to be applied to old and new problems, which bodes well for research and for sales of the proceedings!
Christine Haslegrave
Peter Buckle
The disability scene (2rid Edn)
Books received Compiled by Anne Rehahn London College of Furniture Library, 41 Commercial Rd, London E 1 1LA, pp 75 + 35, £4.00.
Warnings Vol I: Fundamentals, design and evaluation methodologies Vol I I: Annotated bibliography with topical index
A library reference list for designers and makers of equipment for people with disabilities. 2nd edition 1985 with 1987 supplement.
James M. Miller and Mark R. Lehto Fuller Technical Publications, Ann Arbor, 1987,
The ergonomics payoff - d~igrdng the electronic office
ISBN 0-940537-01-X, pp 287 + xii and 288 + ix. Mark Lehto and James Miller note in their preface that warnings are becoming more important in human factors and product design, while engineering and legal decisions are being made which lack the necessary scientific basis. Their pair of volumes makes a substantial contribution to remedying this, providing a large collection of material which outlines the state-of-the-art and which is easily searched. Volume I reviews "warning-related human factors and safety research, the modelling of how persons cognitively process information, and the describing of how methods like knowledge engineering could be applied in the structuring of answers to warnings design and effectiveness questions". It
74
Applied Ergonomics
March 1988
Rani Lueder (Ed) Holt, Rinehart and Winston of Canada Ltd, Toronto, 1986,
ISBN 0-03-921998-4, pp 388, £49.50. Social, eraonomic ~ computer=
s.,~em ~
o f ~ ~
G. Sa/vendy, S~L. Sourer and J.J. Hurret/, Jr (Eds)
Elsevier Science P u b l ~ r s BV, A ~ r d a m , 1~7, ISBN 0.444:42B47:X, pp 373, US S ~ : . ~ ; D r 210:00. Proceedings of the second international conference on human-computer interaction, Honolulu, Hawaii, 10--14 August 1987.
Successful accident prevention - recommendations
Ergonomic interventions to prevent musculoskeletal
and ideas field tested in the Nordic countries
injuries in industry
Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki, 1987, ISBN 951-801-612-7, pp 77.
Lewis Publishers Inc, Chelsea, Michigan, 1987, ISBN 0-87371-103-3, pp 172, £30.85.
The final report of the Nordic co-operative programme of effective accident prevention methods.
Papers presented at a symposium of the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists on 9 - 1 0 October 1986.
Ergonomics sourcebook - a guide to human factors information
Ergonomics in developing countries
K.H. Pelsma (Ed) The Report Store, Lawrence, Kansas, 1987, ISBN 0-916313-12-3, pp 276 + xvi
Proceedings of the international symposium on ergonomics in developing countries, held at Jakarta, Indonesia, on 18-21 November 1985.
BS 6841 : 1987 Measurement and evaluation of human exposure to whole-body mechanical vibration and repeated shock British Standards Institution, London, 1987, ISBN 0-580-16049-1, pp 24.
International Labour Office, Geneva, 1987, ISBN 92-2-105755-0. pp 646, Sw Fr 60.00.
Psychophysiology and the electronic workplace A. Gale and B. Christie (Eds) John Wiley & Sons Ltd, Chichester, 1987, ISBN 0-471-91272-7, pp 351 + x, £36.50.
\
/
Applied Ergonomics Handbook 2nd Edition lan Galer This extensively revised new edition of the Applied Ergonomics Handbook will be welcomed by all designers, managers and students concerned with ergonomics. Ten new chapters discuss the design of workplaces, displays and controls and the layout of panels and machines. Vital factors which affect the quality of the work environment such as noise, vibration, lighting and climate are examined with supporting case studies. Industrial designers and departments of engineering and management studies will find the second edition a highly relevant addition to their libraries.
Contents:Introduction • Ergonomics- introduction and applications • Approachesand models in ergonomics
• The design of displays • The design of controls • Layout of panels and machines • Anthropometry and the design of workplaces • The environment: climatic factors • The environment: noise and vibration • The environment: vision and lighting • Work organisation and job design • Case studies of the applications or ergonomics. 1987 232pages 234x156mm 0408008806 Softcover Illustrated £19.95 For details of other Butterworth Scientific titles, please contact the appropriate office. Orders should be sent to the appropriate office listed below. The UK headquarters serves all UK and overseas markets except where there is a local Butterworths office.
\
United Kingdom Cuetomerl In ~ may order through: Butterworths, Borough Green Butterworth & Co (Asia) Pie Ltd Sevenoaks, Kent TN15 8PH 30 Robinson Road, Unit 12-O1 Tuan Sing Towers England Singapore 0104, Republic of Singapore Auetmlle • Pepua New Guinea New Zealand Butterworths Pry Ltd, PO Box 345 Butterworths of New Zealand Ltd North Ryde, New South Wales 2113 33-35 Cumberland Place Australia Wellington 1, New Zealand
USA & Canada Butterworth Pubhshers 80 Montvale Avenue Stoneham, MA 02180 USA
Applied Ergonomics
March 1988
75