Overview
ISO 11064-5:2008 - "Ergonomic design of control centres - Part 5: Displays and controls" defines principles, requirements and recommendations for the design of displays, controls and their interaction in control-centre hardware and software. As part of the ISO 11064 series on ergonomic design of control centres, this part focuses on the human–system interface to maximize safe, reliable, efficient and comfortable use of operator interfaces in control rooms and control centres.
Key Topics and Requirements
- Principles for display and control selection: guidance on choosing appropriate display types (analogue, digital, overview displays) and control devices (push buttons, soft controls, etc.).
- Information structuring and presentation: rules for organizing screen content, page formats, coding and visual design elements to support rapid understanding and decision-making.
- Human–system interaction: dialogue types, page and network management, response-time considerations and user-interface interaction guidelines.
- Alarms and alerts: high-level requirements for alarm structuring, presentation, interaction, prioritization and documentation; emphasis on alarm management processes and performance metrics.
- Design process: recommended design life‑cycle steps including design team competencies, evaluation methods, iteration and user-centred design principles (references ISO 13407).
- Supporting guidance (Annex A): informative guidelines covering display devices, soft controls, overview displays, communications systems, CCTV and alarm system management (scope, roles, management of change).
- Normative references: integrates ergonomic and VDT guidance such as ISO 9241-12 and cross‑references other parts of ISO 11064 (Parts 1 and 7).
Applications and Users
ISO 11064-5 is intended for anyone involved in the specification, procurement, design, implementation or evaluation of control room human‑machine interfaces, including:
- Operators and supervisors - improved usability and reduced situation‑induced errors.
- Project managers and purchasers - standardized criteria for procurement and risk reduction.
- Systems designers, UI/UX engineers and manufacturers - baseline principles for product development.
- Engineering firms and safety specialists - reference for ergonomic compliance in process industries, utilities, transport control centres and emergency response facilities.
Benefits include enhanced safety in safety‑critical situations, more consistent operator interfaces across sites, reduced training burden and improved system maintainability.
Related Standards
- ISO 11064-1: Principles for the design of control centres
- ISO 11064-7: Principles for the evaluation of control centres
- ISO 9241-12: Presentation of information (VDTs)
- ISO 13407: Human-centred design processes for interactive systems
Keywords: ISO 11064-5:2008, ergonomic design, control centres, displays and controls, alarm management, human-system interface, control room ergonomics.