SIST EN ISO 11064-3:2001

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-marec-2001
(UJRQRPVNRQDþUWRYDQMHNUPLOQLKFHQWURYGHO8UHGLWHYNUPLOQHJDSURVWRUD
,62
Ergonomic design of control centres - Part 3: Control room layout (ISO 11064-3:1999)
Ergonomische Gestaltung von Leitzentralen - Teil 3: Auslegung von Wartenräumen (ISO
11064-3:1999)
Conception ergonomique des centres de commande - Partie 3: Agencement de la salle
de commande (ISO 11064-3:1999)
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: EN ISO 11064-3:1999
ICS:
13.180 Ergonomija Ergonomics
25.040.10 9HþRSHUDFLMVNLVWURML Machining centres
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

INTERNATIONAL
ISO
STANDARD
11064-3
First edition
1999-12-15
Ergonomic design of control centres —
Part 3:
Control room layout
Conception ergonomique des centres de commande —
Partie 3: Agencement de la salle de commande
Reference number
ISO 11064-3:1999(E)
A
© ISO 1999
ISO/FDIS 11064-3:1999(E)
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ISO 11064-3:1999(E)
Contents Page
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Ergonomic design of control centres . 5
4.1 Process for control room layout . 5
4.2 General considerations for control room layout . 6
4.3 Architectural/building recommendations . 9
4.4 Workstation arrangements . 13
4.5 Shared visual displays, off-workstation . 15
4.6 Personnel circulation and maintenance access . 17
Annex A: Examples of control room layout . 22
Annex B: Anthropometric data of the world population:. 34
Bibliography . 35
© ISO/FDIS 1996
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or
mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, without permission in writing from the publisher.
International Organization for Standardization
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© ISO 1999 – All rights reserved iii

ISO 11064-3:1999(E)
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies (ISO
member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through ISO technical
committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee has been established has
the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in
liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commis-
sion (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.
International Standard are drafted in accordance with the rules given in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 3.
Draft International Standards adopted by the technical committees are circulated to the member bodies for voting.
Publication as an International Standard requires approval by at least 75 % of the member bodies casting a vote.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this International Standard may be the subject of
patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
International Standard ISO 11064-3 was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 159, Ergonomics,
Subcommittee SC 4, Ergonomics of human-system interaction.
ISO 11064 consists of the following parts, under the general title Ergonomic design of control centres:
— Part 1: Principle for the design of control centres.
— Part 2: Principles of control suite arrangement
— Part 3: Control room layout
— Part 4: Workstation layout and dimensions
— Part 5: Displays and controls
— Part 6: Environmental requirements for control centres
— Part 7: Principles for the evaluation of control centres
— Part 8: Ergonomic requirements for specific applications
Annexes A and B of this part of ISO 11064 are for information only.
© ISO 1999
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or
mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, without permission in writing from the publisher.
International Organization for Standardization
Case postale 56 • CH-1211 Genève 20 • Switzerland
Internet iso@iso.ch
Printed in Switzerland
iv © ISO 1999 – All rights reserved

ISO 11064-3:1999(E)
Introduction
This part of ISO 11064 establishes ergonomic requirements, recommendations and guidelines for control room lay-
out.
User requirements are a central theme of this part of ISO 11064 and the processes described are designed to take
account of needs of users at all stages. The overall strategy for dealing with the user requirements as strategy to be
adopted for control room design is presented in ISO 11064-1.
ISO 11064-2 provides guidance on the design and planning of the control room in relation to its supporting areas.
Requirements for the design of workstations, displays and controls and the physical working environment are pre-
sented in ISO 11064-4 to ISO 11064-6. Evaluation principles are dealt with in ISO 11064-7.
ISO 11064-1 to ISO 11064-7 cover general principles of ergonomic design appropriate to a range of industries and
service providers. The specific requirements appropriate to particular sectors or applications areas are covered in
ISO 11064-8. The requirements presented in ISO 11064-8 are to be read in conjunction with ISO 11064-1 to
ISO 11064-7.
The ultimate beneficiaries of this part of ISO 11064 will be the control room operator and other users. It is the needs
of these users that provide the ergonomic requirements used by the developers of International Standards. Although
it is unlikely that the end user will read this part of ISO 11064, or even know of its existence, its application should
provide the user with interfaces that are more usable and a working environment which is more consistent with oper-
ational demands. It should result in a solution which will minimize error and enhance productivity.
For determining design dimensions, the practice of providing formulae, into which appropriate user population data
is inserted, is adopted. A table of anthropometric data is presented in annex B.
© ISO 1999 – All rights reserved v

INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 11064-3:1999(E)
Ergonomic design of control centres —
Part 3:
Control room layout
1 Scope
This part of ISO 11064 establishes ergonomic principles for the layout of control rooms. It includes requirements,
recommendations and guidelines on control room layouts, workstation arrangements, the use of off-workstation
visual displays and control room maintenance.
It covers all types of control centres, including those for the process industry, transport and dispatching systems in
the emergency services. Although this part of ISO 11064 is primarily intended for non-mobile control centres, many
of the principles could be relevant/applicable to mobile centres, such as those found on ships and aircraft.
2 Normative references
The following normative documents contain provisions which, through reference in this text, constitute provisions of
this part of ISO ISO 11064. For dated references, subsequent amendments to, or revisions of, any of these
publications do not apply. However, parties to agreements based on this part of ISO 11064 are encouraged to
investigate the possibility of applying the most recent editions of the normative documents indicated below. For
undated references, the latest edition of the normative document referred to applies. Members of ISO and IEC
maintain registers of currently valid International Standards.
ISO 7250:1996, Basic human body measurements for technological design.
ISO 9241-3:1992, Ergonomic requirements for office work with visual display terminals (VDTs) — Part 3: Visual
display requirements.
ISO 9241-5:1998, Ergonomic requirements for office work with visual display terminals (VDTs) — Part 5:
Workstation layout and postural requirements.
ISO 11428:1996, Ergonomics – Visual danger signals – General requirements, design and testing.
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this part of ISO 11064, the following terms amd definitions apply.
NOTE To assist with the interpretation of these definitions, descriptive Figures 1 and 2 are included in this clause.
3.1
control centre
combination of control rooms, control suites and local control stations which are functionally related and all on the
same site (see Figure 1)
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ISO 11064-3:1999(E)
3.2
control console
structural framework which supports equipment, worksurfaces and storage and which together comprise a control
workstation
3.3
control panel
discrete surface on which groups of displays and controls are mounted; control panels may be mounted on the
control workstation or on walls (see Figure 2)
3.4
control room
core functional entity, and its associated physical structure, where control room operators are stationed to carry out
centralized control, monitoring and administrative responsibilities
3.5
control room operator
individual whose primary duties relate to the conduct of monitoring and control functions, usually at a control
workstation, either on their own or in conjunction with other personnel both within the control room or outside
3.6
control suite
group of functionally related rooms, co-located with the control room, and including it, which house the supporting
functions to the control room, such as related offices, equipment rooms, rest areas and training rooms (see Figure 1)
3.7
control workstation
single or multiple working position, including all equipment such as computers and communication terminals and
furniture at which control and monitoring functions are conducted (see Figure 2)
3.8
direct operator supervision
supervision of control room operators, and other staff, by direct observation and/or via direct speech links
3.9
display
device for presenting information that can change with the aim of making things visible, audible or discriminable by
tactile or proprioceptive perception
3.10
functional groups
grouping of control workstations where the operational duties are such that close, direct liaison is required and
therefore benefit from proximity to one another
3.11
functional layout
layout in which the general location of differing control functions in a control room are indicated
3.12
gross area
overall number of square metres designated for a control room
3.13
disability
any reduction in normal capacity due to mental or physical factors which prevents an individual from experiencing or
performing a full complement of activities [8]
3.14
intimate zone
distance at which the presence of another person is unmistakable through such factors as sight, olfaction, heat and
sound
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ISO 11064-3:1999(E)
3.15
local control station
operator interface that is located near the equipment or system being monitored and/or controlled
3.16
off-workstation display
displays which are not mounted on the control workstation; such displays, often visual, may be display panels, mimic
diagrams and observation windows (see Figure 2)
3.17
primary information
information which is essential for the satisfactory exercise of control functions
3.18
primary workstation
control workstation that is usually staffed and is in the main control area
3.19
secondary information
information which is either of secondary importance to the control function or which does not need to be immediately
available to the control room operator
3.20
secondary workstation
workstation on which supportive tasks are undertaken, or on which an overload of tasks can be carried out during
periods of peak workloads
3.21
shared visual display device
on-workstation visual display which needs to be used by more than one control room operator while they are at their
control workstations
3.22
stature (body height)
vertical distance from the floor to the highest point of the head (vertex)
[ISO 7250:1996]
3.23
supervisor
individual whose primary responsibilities relate to the satisfactory conduct of control functions by the control room,
the supervision of staff and equipment and, when necessary, the conduct of control tasks
3.24
task analysis
analytical process employed to determine the specific behaviours required of people when operating equipment or
doing work
[ISO 9241-5:1998]
3.25
usable area
gross area less deduction for unusable spaces, such as around pillars, awkward corners and nearby entrances/exits
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ISO 11064-3:1999(E)
Key
1 Control room
2 Control suite
3 Control centre
4 Control room
5 Equipment
6 Kitchen
7 Eating and rest areas
8Toilets
9Store
Figure 1 — Schematic illustrations of control room, control suite and control centre
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ISO 11064-3:1999(E)
Key
1 Off-workstation visual display
2 Wall-mounted control panel
3 Control console
4Visualdisplay
5 Control panel
6 Control workstation
(consistsof3,4,and 5)
Figure 2 — Illustration of definitions associated with control workstation and off-workstation
visual displays
4 Ergonomic design of control centres
4.1 Process for control room layout
The following flowchart summarizes a general procedure for the control room layout, where only the main activities
have been noted (see Figure 3).
For the purposes of this part of ISO 11064, it is assumed that a number of control room characteristics have been
largely finalized and act as an input to the process summarized in the flowchart. These ergonomic features include
job descriptions, staffing profiles, equipment specifications and overall operating procedures. For many control room
projects, at the stage where layouts need to be undertaken, not all of the ergonomic features have been finalized. In
order to proceed with the ergonomic design process in accordance with this part of ISO 11064, it is necessary to
agree upon working assumptions for those aspects where final information is not available. This information and the
finalized ergonomic features are recorded in an Operational Specification or Functional Specification.
The flowchart refers to information input during the preparation of “functional layouts”. This information will include
the number of control workstations as well as any required arrangements of workstations. Grouping should be based
on functional linkages, for example, equipment sharing, direct lines of sight and requirements for direct speech.
The development of a preferred control room layout will, typically, include the following activities. Based on the
operational requirements summarized in a functional link analysis, workstation arrangement and layouts should be
prepared within the available space. These layouts should take account of such functional links, as face to face
communications and sightlines to shared off-workstation overview displays, as noted in the functional link analysis.
Functional layout need only be approximately to scale. A number of different functional layout options are prepared
which meet, to varying degrees, the requirements in the Operational Specification. Translating these functional
layouts to possible room layouts is achieved by replacing functional groups with approximate workstation footprint
sizes and adjusting the layouts to maintain required circulation and maintenance access. A similar process can be
used for room layouts where no space has been decided for the control room, under which circumstances the
functional layouts/room layouts can be used to specify the space to be provided for these functions.
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ISO 11064-3:1999(E)
Once having determined alternative control room layouts, these shall be tested by control room operators/users
against the requirements contained within the Operational Specification. Through a process of iteration, the best
control room layout should be sought.
The final control room layout selected should be validated against documented performance criteria, and a record
made of the performance of the room against these criteria and any compromises made (see 4.2.6).
4.2 General considerations for control room layout
This subclause summarizes some general considerations for the planning and layout of control rooms. A fuller
account of these is presented later in this part of ISO 11064 together with other requirements concerned with control
room layout.
4.2.1 Architectural considerations
4.2.1.1 Entrances/exits
Main entrances and exits should not form part of the working visual fields of the control room operator, unless the
operators have some specific responsibility for checking on the entry/exit of staff (see 4.4.1).
Entrances and exits should not be positioned behind the control room operator (see 4.3.3).
4.2.1.2 Personnel safety
Features, such as guard-rails and handrails, should be provided to minimize safety hazards in control rooms (see
4.3.2) where various floor levels are found.
4.2.1.3 Future expansion
Control rooms should allow for expansion: provision for expansion will be influenced by such factors as the built-in
life-span of the control room and predicted changes in workload or logistics: typically allowance for approximately
25 % increase in working positions and equipment has been found from practical experience to be prudent
(see 4.3.2).
4.2.2 Operational considerations
4.2.2.1 Task analysis
Room layouts should be based on an agreed set of principles derived from operational feedback (if available), task
analysis and an understanding of the worker population including workers with disabilities: these underlying
principles should be fully documented (see 4.1).
4.2.2.2 Team working
The layout of control rooms, where many of the control room operators work, should facilitate team working
opportunities and social interaction for operators where this factor is deemed important for the primary tasks to be
performed (see 4.4.1).
4.2.2.3 Organizational factors
The control room layout should reflect the allocation of responsibilities and the requirements for supervision.
4.2.2.4 Operational links
Optimizing key operational links, including sightlines, or direct speech communication should be a goal in control
room layouts (see 4.4.1).
4.2.3 Workstation arrangements
4.2.3.1 Room layout
Control rooms which exhibit either overcrowding of workpositions, or widely dispersed workpositions, are not
recommended. Layouts should allow, wherever practical, direct verbal communication between the control room
operators and avoid excessively short separations between adjacent operators (see 4.4.1).
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ISO 11064-3:1999(E)
NOTE Feedback loops can occur at any stage of the process.
Figure 3 — General procedure for control room layout
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ISO 11064-3:1999(E)
4.2.3.2 Consistency
Control rooms with similar functions and in the same plant or facility, such as occur in a control complex, should
adopt the same ergonomic principles of room layout to facilitate decision-making and teamwork.
4.2.3.3 Physically disadvantaged
Where physically disadvantaged control room operators or visitors (those exhibiting a disability) are expected to use
the control room, adequate facilities should be provided (see 4.4.5).
NOTE National regulations may take precedence over the requirements in this part of ISO 11064.
4.2.3.4 Posture variation
There are ergonomic benefits in varying postures during periods of work. Wherever practicable, it is recommended
that control workstation layouts and work regimes allow control room operators to change their posture at the control
workstation and to move from their workstations from time to time (see ISO 9241-5:1998). Under no circumstances
should this interfere with primary control duties or be undertaken as part of a time-critical activity.
NOTE This may be achieved by locating some off-workstation equipment at a distance from the main operating positions.
4.2.3.5 Body size
Room dimensions and control workstation layout dimensions and features for which peoples’ sizes are relevant, e.g.
seated view over workstations, shall take account of the range of control room operators for which these items are
being provided (see 4.5.1).
4.2.3.6 Windows
Control room operators using visual displays should not be facing windows unless these windows are a primary
information source. The location of control workstations where windows are behind the operator should be avoided
since this may give rise to reflections on the display screen. If control room operators do have to face windows,
whilst using visual display terminals, the differences in luminances should not lead to glare. See clause A.4.
4.2.4 Off-workstation shared visual displays
The layout of the control room shall ensure that all off-workstation visual displays, necessary for the control room
operators’ task, are visible from all relevant control workstations (see 4.5.1).
4.2.5 Circulation of personnel and maintenance access
Circulation of control room staff, maintenance staff and all visitors should be achieved with minimum disruption to the
work of control room operators (see 4.6.1).
Where it is anticipated that the supervisory positions will give rise to additional circulation from outside the control
room, it is recommended that these positions be located close to main entrances (see 4.6.1).
Operational areas should have a means of restricting thoroughfare access (see 4.6.1).
All aspects of control room layout shall take account of the requirements for maintenance access (see 4.6.2).
4.2.6 Verification and validation of control room layout
Verification is the process of determining that something has been designed and constructed according to a defined
specification. Validation is the process of determining that the object, which has been built/developed, is able to
carry out the task for which it is intended.
Verification and validation should be integrated with the design process and should be performed in parallel with top
level design, detailed design and during the development of prototypes. Verification and validation should be an
iterative process during the development of the design. It should give feedback to the designer in moving towards
the best possible solution. It may include a number of different methods and techniques.
Examples of these are
— guideline evaluations (or use of checklists), i.e., using human factor guidelines and standards to check the
design;
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ISO 11064-3:1999(E)
— different task analysis techniques like link analysis or time-line analysis, where communication and co-ordination
canbetested;
— the use of “walk and talk through” techniques, where the idea is to work through scenarios/sequences in the new
design.
These techniques need appropriate representations of the new design which could be
— representations based on drawings and photographs,
— traditional full-scale mock-ups or small models, or
— computer models, as produced by computer-aided design tools.
Finally, as an advanced tool, mock-ups based on virtual reality technology could also be used.
4.2.7 Documentation
Evaluation criteria, compromises and decisions based on ergonomic principles should be documented and securely
stored so that future modifications can take proper account of these factors (see Figure 3).
4.3 Architectural/building recommendations
The recommendations in this subclause relate to the provision of space within buildings for control rooms.
4.3.1 Plan space provision
4.3.1.1 Selection of space
In particular the following factors have to be taken into account.
— The selection of a space for a control room should be based on the usable area, not the gross area.
— Obstructions and structural features, such as pillars and awkward corners, within a proposed/planned control
area, will severely reduce the available space and could result in sub-optimal work layouts.
2 2
— A heuristic value for planning floor-space allocation is to allow for 9 m to 15 m per working position with a
minimum of not less than 9 m . This has been found to be satisfactory for rooms with more than one control
room operator and which are permanently staffed, and takes account of typical equipment volumes, seating
space and maintenance access. Precise requirements shall be based on a task analysis. This space provision
is based on the use of “usable” area.
NOTE 1 The figures presented are based on a survey of spaces actually used in operational rooms which were themselves
2 2
based on an ergonomic design process. These figures, of 9 m to 15 m per working position, are typically associated with
control rooms comprising single workstations (or clusters of workstations) and no large, off-workstation shared visual display.
In some control rooms, where large, shared overview displays are a dominant operational feature, space allocations of up to
50 m have been measured.
— If additional staff need to be accommodated during off-normal operations, within the control room, sufficient
space should be allowed for these additional staff to be housed.
— Temporary positions should be provided alongside permanent control room operator positions, where these
additional staff are expected to be present during shift changes.
— Square, circular and hexagonal spaces are preferred for the arrangement of functional groups, because they
offer the potential of maximizing the number of links (see Figure 4); long narrow spaces should be avoided since
they can unduly reduce options.
NOTE 2 It is recognized that certain shapes of room are more likely to concentrate noise, which can sometimes lead to
problems: such room shapes include hexagonal and circular configurations. Curved walls are sometimes restrictive as far as
future control workstation rearrangement is concerned.
4.3.1.2 Future expansion
In particular, the following has to be taken into account.
— Space provision should consider requirements over the full planned life-span of the control room and account
should be taken of future increases in workloads, staffing and equipment. Where planned, life-spans can be in
the order of 10 years to 20 years; it is prudent to allow for up to 25 % additional space to allow for such
expansion.
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ISO 11064-3:1999(E)
Key
1 Functional groups
2 Room envelope
Figure 4 — Room shape and functional layouts
4.3.2 Vertical space provision
In particular the following has to be taken into account.
— Control rooms with a single finished floor height offer greater flexibility for future change and for the movement of
equipment and personnel, especially those with disabilities.
— For a given control area, single height ceilings are preferred.
— As a “rule of thumb”, slab-to-slab heights should preferably be a minimum of 4 m, to include false floors, false
ceilings, indirect lighting systems and the accommodation of shared off-workstation visual displays. In practice,
such a design would result in finished floor to finished ceiling heights of at least 3 m.
NOTE In Figure 5 the dimensions are based on a P99 male for illustrative purposes. The appropriate user population data
should be used.
— Uncluttered ceilings are preferred to avoid any distractions or stray reflections from luminaires; such plain
finishes are also recommended for walls and any structural elements.
— Differing finished floor heights can sometimes offer advantages for viewing areas, supervisory overviews and a
means of keeping “public area” segregated. To avoid various safety hazards, including trip hazards, ramps
should be considered for movement of equipment and personnel.
— The viewing of shared off-workstation visual displays, by groups of control room operators, can sometimes be
improved through the introduction of multi-level floor heights.
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ISO 11064-3:1999(E)
Dimensions in millimetres
Key
1 Ceiling slab
2 Uplighter fitting
3 Finished ceiling
4 Finished floor
5 Floor slab
a Ceilling void
b 1000to 1250
c 500 = clearance under the
luminaire, including clothing
allowance
d 2 000 = clearance under the
luminaire, including clothing
allowance
e 500 = Floor void
NOTE The dimensions are given as an example.
Figure 5 — Vertical space provision
4.3.3 Exits, entrances and walkways
In particular, the following has to be taken into account.
— The location and number of the exits and entrances should take account of such factors as the number of control
room operators and the functional links to areas outside the control room.
— A single main entrance and exit offers the best solution for security and staff control. However, other emergency
exits may need to be provided.
— Entrance location should be considered in relation to supporting functions situated around the control room,
such as toilets, relaxation areas, supervisors, offices.
— The sizes of entrances/exits should allow for the passage of trolleys, and accommodate control room operators
and visitors with disabilities, movement of equipment and the introduction of any other maintenance equipment
which can sometimes be required to be used in the control room. Entrances that are sized for equipment
passage are usually adequate for persons using wheelchairs.
— Where access into the control room is required for, say, the collection of “permits to work”, keys or documents,
adequate account should be taken of circulation routes and temporary waiting areas.
— Where counters are used for the receipt or collection of documents, such as “permits to work”, these often need
to be near entrances or easily accessible from certain operating positions.
— Where changes of floor level are introduced in conjunction with entrances or exits, proper physical “aids” should
be provided (such as guard rails, handrails, anti-slip surfaces) to minimize potential hazards.
NOTE National regulations may take precedence over the requirements in this part of ISO 11064.
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ISO 11064-3:1999(E)
4.3.4 Windows
Windows are provided in control rooms for operational, psychological and physiological reasons, not necessarily for
illumination. Large luminance differences between the visual displays, used at a workstation, and areas around
them, shall be avoided. The ratio of luminances for task areas that are frequently viewed in sequence (e.g. screen,
document and windows) should be lower than 10:1. Within a static visual field a significantly higher ratio of
luminances can be tolerated between the task area and its surrounds (e.g. display housing and walls) and should
not have any adverse effect. However, a luminance ratio of 100:1 between two areas would be expected to produce
a small but significant drop in performance (see ISO 9241-3).
A glare-free usage of displays shall be guaranteed.
The provision of windows often gives rise to conflicting demands sometimes leading to the exclusion of windows
from the control room (i.e. for security or safety reasons). The control room operator’s task can include direct visual
information from outside the control room, thus requiring windows within the operator’s visual field. The following
situations are discussed within this subclause:
— windows are a given fact in the (existing) control room;
— windows are not needed for information purposes;
— windows are needed for information purposes;
— windows can be introduced after the control room layout has been established.
When windows are included in control rooms, the following shall be taken into account:
— workstations shall not be facing windows unless they are a primary information source;
— windows shall not be located behind the operator in order to avoid glare or disturbing reflections on displays;
— windows shall have user-operable blinds;
— windows, which are located on the left and/or right side of the workstation, shall have a minimum distance of 3 m
to the workstation,
— for those cases where operational information is obtained via windows, the nature of this information shall be
established;
— windows shall be included in meeting and relaxation areas and offer an alternative visual environment to that in
the control room;
— primary control workstations shall be shielded from windows present in non-operational areas of the control
suite;
— window size shall allow the control room user to get a glimpse of the environment; a light neutral tint is
acceptable to reduce sky brightness, but dark tints can make the outside world look too gloomy.
4.3.5 Visitors
In particular the following has to be taken into account.
— Visitors should not be able to see “informal activities” undertaken by control room operators, such as reading
and taking refreshments which sometimes occur during quiet periods. This may be achieved by minimizing
unobstructed sight of the control workstation worksurfaces from all areas where visitors are likely to have
access.
— The design of facilities for visitors should be taken into consideration from the beginning of the project and
treated as a normal function to be accommodated by the control suite.
— Where confidential information is presented, it should not be possible to see this from the public viewing areas.
— Public viewing areas should be designed so that control room operators do not feel that they are there for
“entertainment” of the visitors.
— When raised viewing galleries are to be included in the control room, the impact these might have on natural and
artificial lighting in the control room should be considered.
12 © ISO 1999 – All rights reserved

ISO 11064-3:1999(E)
4.4 Workstation arrangements
The requirements and recommendations presented in this subclause concern the horizontal and vertical
arrangements of control workstations within the control room.
4.4.1 Plan arrangements
In particular the following has to be taken into account:
— Operational links between control room operators, such as speech, sightlines or direct voice communication,
should be documented, by using link association tables prior to developing control workstation layouts, and
should provide a benchmark against which alternative layouts can be assessed (see Figure 3). In these tables,
primary and secondary operational means are spelt out, including direct visual, message passing or equipment
sharing requirements.
— When considering alternative ways of laying out a number of control workstations the following factors should be
taken into consideration:
a) whether control workstations are dedicated to individual operators or are shared;
b) whether each control workstation is identical;
c) whether all operations can be carried out from a single control workstation or tasks are spread amongst a
number.
NOTE Where clusters of control workstations are grouped together to form a single unit, the way in which operators are ar-
ranged around the workstation can offer different advantages (see annex A).
— Where a number of control rooms, operating on the same system, are located on various sites or countries, they
should adopt similar layouts. Adopting this approach facilitates the transfer of control personnel from one site to
another and can reduce training time and errors.
— Control workstation arrangements shall take into account operations under normal and abnormal modes of
system operation; for example, fall-back arrangements for information transmission by paper or other non-
electronic means.
— Where ventilation systems, light fittings and windows have already been installed, positioning of control
workstations should take account of these to avoid draughts, glare and reflections on visual display screens.
— Social contact within the control room should be allowed for by grouping operators so that informal
conversations (those which have nothing to do with the operation of the control room) can occur between
individuals without compromising operator efficiency. In larger control rooms, particular care should be taken that
such informal links can be maintained when staffing levels are reduced during quieter periods.
— Control workstation layouts should provide an operationally satisfactory working environment under both
maximum and minimum staffing levels.
— Control workstation layouts should provide for the convenient storage and display of all necessary reference
documentation which control room operators require to access as part of their duties as well as items which can
be required in emergencies.
— Special consideration should be given to the requirements of the standing control room operator for appropriate
reference storage, display and use.
— Where control workstations are grouped together, the minimum distances between adjacent positions should not
result in individuals sitting within each other’s “intimate zones”. Whilst occasional close working may be
acceptable, working positions adopted for extended periods should avoid control room operators having to
intrude within each other’s intimate zones.
— Spacing between control room operators should take account of shared equipment, where consideration of
common reach zones or potential problems of interference due to noise need to be applied.
— Approximate control workstation sizing for initial room layout purposes should take account of such factors as
equipment sizes, flat worktop provision and the requirements for on-workstation storage and accommodation for
workers with disabilities: any such layouts should be fully checked through workstation and room trials prior to
being finalized.
© ISO 1999 – All rights reserved 13

ISO 11064-3:1999(E)
— When selecting room layouts, attention should be paid to training requirements for control room operators, for
example, additional space for equipment adjacent to a normal operator's position or a separate, discrete training
workstation.
— Layouts should take account of maintenance requirements and access space for technicians and equipment
removal, particularly where this involves bulky items.
— The general arrangement of control workstations should be such that flow from general circulation areas is
inhibited. However, the use of actual physical barriers to do this is not advocated.
— Control workstations should be positioned such that views of entrances and exits are minimized, to reduce visual
distraction, from the normal operating position unless operational requirements demand this.
4.4.2 Supervisory control workstations
In some control rooms, certain control workstations are designated as supervisory and some of the following
additional requirements can be associated with their location in the control room.
— Supervisory control workstations should take full account of the additional reference material which is sometimes
required to be stored, displayed and used at these positions.
— In arranging supervisory control workstation layouts, an early decision needs to be taken as to whether the
primary duties of the supervisors are to supervise the systems, the control room operators or both. For system
monitoring, layouts will place greater priority on equipment positioning; whereas for direct operator supervision,
workstation positioning in the room and workstation profiles are more important.
— Layouts should allow for additional circulation around supervisory positions and for the temporary
accommodation of visitors.
— Where major incidents are handled from the supervisory area, the provision of extra vertical display surfaces
needs to be considered for the presentation of maps, charts or procedures. Consideration should also be given
to the additional space required by extra staff who sometimes need to be accommodated in this area. Where
such major incident facilities are not immediately within the supervisory workstation area, the size and location
should be considered during control-suite layout.
— Where major incidents are not handled in the supervisory area in the control room, provisions for a separate
major incident area need to be considered in the control-suite layout.
4.4.3 Vertical arrangements
The use of varying floor levels in a control room can offer some advantages in viewing shared overview visual
displays and improving sightlines between control room operators. These benefits can also be achieved by other
means, such
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