Principles of Forensic Human Factors/Ergonomics

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Author: Wesley E. Woodson & H. Harvey Cohen
ISBN 10: 1-933264-09-8
ISBN 13: 978-1-933264-09-7
Copyright Date Ed: July 8, 2005
Pages: 275 pages
Binding Information: Hardcover
Size: 8.5 ✕ 11 Inches (US)

A wealth of information on the real world of machines, consumer products and operational environments.

Your client's personal injury: Did a design flaw encourage misuse of a product? Human factors or ergonomics, as it is otherwise known, is a groundbreaking area too often ignored or misunderstood by lawyers, engineers and other design or safety professionals. Often a designer’s error encourages mistakes or misuse. Unfortunately, when trying these personal injury and products liability cases, legal professionals often pre-determine the "human factors" based on their own ability to use a product or operate in a particular environment. Since lawyers and other experts are human, they feel that they intuitively know about all human factors. The result? Many fail when trying personal injury cases, even though a thorough knowledge of human factors/ergonomics could have meant a successful verdict.

Principles of Forensic Human Factors/Ergonomics (revised edition of Human Factors Engineering for Forensic and Safety Specialists) is an excellent resource because it takes you step-by-step over the areas of concern. You’ll get an in-depth look at the human factors issues involved in such systems as architecture, transportation, consumer products, equipment and tools, areas in which questions of safety are most common. In addition, you’ll discover how to separate the situation in which the product design is at fault from those situations where the injured is at fault due to carelessness or misconduct.

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Chapter 2: User/Product Interface and Environmental Influences that Interact to Produce Safety Scenarios
2.1 General Safe Design Principles
2.2 Falls
2.3 Obstructions and Collisions
2.4 Visual Characteristics and Limitations vs. What Should be Seen
2.5 Interpreting What is Seen
2.6 Sensory-Motor Factors and Design of Controls— Can it be Manipulated?
2.7 Design Errors in Selection of Control Hardware
2.8 Conclusion

Chapter 3: User Limiting Characteristics that Designers Must Consider in Design of Consumer Products
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Safety and System Effectiveness: Can the User Easily Use a Proposed Safety System, Use it Properly, and Expect the System To Perform as Planned?
3.3 Hidden Operator/Product Safety Booby Traps
3.4 Human Body Dimensions: Will it Fit?
3.5 Sensory-Motor Response: Characteristics and Limitations
3.6 Physiologic Factors
3.7 Summary
3.8 Conclusion

Chapter 4: Architectural Systems
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Site Selection and Layout
4.3 Individual Building or Facility Planning to Minimize Accidents
4.4 Design of Individual Architectural Features to Reduce Mis-use
4.5 Conclusion

Chapter 5: Vehicular-Roadway and Other Transportation Systems
5.1 Introduction
5.2 The Question of Safety Standards
5.3 In the Courtroom
5.4 Common Automotive System Design Failures
5.5 The General Vehicle Ingress/Egress Problem
5.6 Vehicle Service and Maintenance Hazards
5.7 Common Street, Road, and Highway Design Failures
5.8 Common Commercial and Private Aircraft System Design
5.9 Safety Problems for Mobile Agricultural, Construction and Industrial Equipment, and Trucks

Chapter 6: Consumer Products and Tools
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Large Appliances
6.3 Small Appliances and Tools
6.4 Toys

Chapter 7: Home and Work Furnishings and Equipment
7.1 Introduction
7.2 Chairs, Seats, Stools, and Benches
7.3 Tables, Workbenches, Counters
7.4 Bookcases, Filing, and Storage Cabinets
7.5 Workplace Configurations

Chapter 8: Graphics
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Critical Graphics Functional Objectives
8.3 General Principles for Product Labeling

Chapter 9: Human Factors/Ergonomics Tests
9.1 Introduction
9.2 Architecture
9.3 Types of HF/E Tests Pertinent to Architecture
9.4 Vehicular and Roadways
9.5 Tests Appropriate to Automotive Design
9.6 Tests Appropriate to Aircraft Design
9.7 Tests Appropriate to Roadway Design
9.8 Commercial, Construction, and Farm Vehicles
9.9 Consumer and Commercial Test Methodology Evaluation

Canada Society of Forensic Science Journal

The introduction of this book declares an intent to give a better understanding of what and how human factors relate to the safety of machines, products, systems and operational environments. For principles and statistical and other data in the field the reader is directed to the comprehensive bibliography which includes well more than 100 references. Wesley Woodson has more than 50 years experience in human factors engineering. He graduated from Southwestern College in Kansas with a B.A. in 1941 and served as a Captain in the US Army. In 1946 he joined the U.S. Navy Electronics Laboratory in San Diego and became head of Human Engineering dealing with auditory and visual communication, psycho-motor performance, and anthropometric and bio-mechanical research. In 1956 he joined General Dynamics where he became head of the then new Human Engineering Group eventually being involved with pre-design studies of the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Military Orbiting Lab and Lunar Excursion Module. With two colleagues Woodson founded Man Factors Inc. in 1965 and for the next 17 years provided consulting on military and industrial projects as well as giving expert evidence at trials. He is the author of Human Engineering Guide for Equipment Designers (U. Cal. Press, 1964), Human Factors Design Handbook (McGraw-Hill Book Co., 1981), and numerous journal articles. The first three chapters of Human Factors Engineering introduce the concept of design induced human error, and discuss the user/product interface, environmental influences, and user limitations. These ideas are then applied in chapters on architectural systems, roadway systems, consumer products and tools, and home and work furnishings. Finally separate chapters are given to graphics and tests. Much of the discussion seems to be plain, common sense - door handles should be near hand level or 'poorly worded labels may be misunderstood. Summary tables abound with enumerated comments such as many housewives operate an appliance with their hands full. Simple line sketches illustrate principles which too often seem to be self-evident. For example a short stair way is shown with the comment that carpet may blur the outline of the steps. The introduction states that this book was intended for judges and lawyers to assist them in determining if a design fault might have been a factor in an injury, and if a human factors specialist should be retained. The presentation though is confusing and lacks the organized approach needed to help that audience quickly find an answer when confronted with a specific case. The forensic and safety specialists referred to in the title will learn that one must discriminate between acts of carelessness and errors caused by improper design, but they will find little direct assistance beyond extensive general illustrations of that notion.

Ergonomics in Design

This book would be wonderful for those in early career development. It would also be marvelous for opening the eyes . . . to the reality of design implications for human safety and human error . . . .