Overview
ISO 11064-1:2000 - Ergonomic design of control centres - Part 1: Principles for the design of control centres - sets out high‑level ergonomic principles, recommendations and requirements to guide the design, expansion, refurbishment and technological upgrades of control centres. It is primarily aimed at non‑mobile control rooms but notes that many principles apply to mobile control centres (ships, aircraft). The standard frames a human‑centred, iterative design process to reduce operator error and improve safety, reliability and efficiency in centralized supervisory control environments.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Human‑centred design approach: Treats humans, machines (hardware/software), environment and management as an integrated system; design must emphasize human strengths (perception, decision making) as well as physical capabilities and limitations.
- Integration of ergonomics in engineering: Ergonomic expertise should be embedded in project management and multidisciplinary design teams.
- Iterative design and evaluation: Designs must be evaluated and refined repeatedly; operational feedback and controlled change management are required.
- Situational and task analysis: Conduct situational analysis, task analysis and functional analysis to define user needs, modes of operation (start‑up, normal, emergency, maintenance) and staffing implications.
- Function allocation & functional/ design specifications: Define how tasks are distributed between human operators and automated systems; produce functional and detailed design specifications.
- Phased ergonomic design framework: The standard organizes design into phases (A–E): clarification, analysis & definition, conceptual design, detailed design, and operational feedback/validation.
- Definitions and verification/validation: Provides standardized terms (control centre, control room, control suite, primary/secondary user) and emphasizes verification and validation of design against user needs.
- Accessibility & user diversity: Requires accommodation for physically challenged users when routinely assigned to control centre duties.
Applications and who uses it
ISO 11064-1 is used by:
- Ergonomists and human factors specialists
- Control room and control centre designers
- Systems and process engineers (process industries, utilities)
- Transportation and logistics control planners
- Safety, operations and facility managers
- Project managers responsible for new builds, upgrades or refurbishments
Typical applications include design and evaluation of control rooms, workstations, overview displays, staffing plans, emergency procedures and human‑machine interfaces to improve operational safety and reduce human error.
Related standards
- ISO 6385 - Ergonomic principles in the design of work systems (normative reference)
- ISO 11064 series (Parts 2–8) - detailed guidance on suite arrangement, control room layout, workstation dimensions, displays/controls, environmental requirements and evaluation
- ISO 11064-3 - Control room layout (normative reference)
Keywords: ISO 11064-1, ergonomic design, control centres, control rooms, human‑centred design, task analysis, control room layout, human factors, control centre design.