Mark S. Sanders

Using Retroreflective Material to Enhance the Conspicuity of Coal Miners

This study investigated the use of retroreflective material to increase conspicuity of miners. A scaled simulation was created using dolls configured as miners. Twelve observers viewed four configurations of retroreflective material on dolls in three body postures at one of three locations in the visual field. In a subsequent experiment, nine observers compared two configurations. The results confirmed the poor conspicuity of the configuration currently required in mines, which features retroreflective tape on the helmet only. All experimental retroreflective configurations significantly improved detectability over this configuration. Overall, the most cost-effective configurations were those in which the belt and/or armbands were covered with retroreflective material.

The effects of panel arrangements and locus of attention on performance

A 2 × 2 × 8 factorial design was used to determine the effects of mirror-imaged panel arrangement and locus of attention (i.e., whether the subject focused attention external to the control panel or internal to the control panel) on operator performance. Response time and error data were collected for both nonemergency and simulated emergency situations. For the nonemergency performance condition the mirror-image group took longer to operate the controls and made slightly more errors. Performance in emergency situations was particularly degraded in the mirror-imaged condition. More instances of strain and fatigue were reported by the subjects using the mirror-imaged panel. The use of mirror-imaged complex control panels in high-stress environments is not recommended when separate panels are being operated by the same person.

HFS Job Survey: What do we need to know?

In the summer of 1985, a survey was sent to a sample of 997 members of the Human Factors Society (HFS) living in the continental United States. A part of the survey focused on what people need to know to perform their job effectively. Respondents indicated how important each of 101 subject-matter areas was in their work. This paper discusses these results, comparing masters and doctorates, those with degrees in engineering and in psychology, and those working in various types of organizations.

HFS Job Survey: What are we doing?

In the summer of 1985 a survey was sent to a sample of 997 members of the Human Factors Society. Respondents indicated how important each of 63 different activities was in their work. Comparisons are made between masters and doctorates, those with degrees in engineering and those with degrees in psychology, and among those working in various types of organizations.

HFS Job Survey: Implications for Accreditation, Certification and Education

Almost from the beginning of the human factors profession, people have wrestled with defining what human factors people do. In general, we have more or less accepted that what human factors is, is what human factors does. The problem has been that there has really not been a systematic study of what HF professional actually do, or what knowledges are important in their work. In addition, in recent years the Society has initiated efforts to develop certification and educational accreditation programs. Both these programs have had to depend on general impression of a small number of individuals as to what HF people do and need to know. Recently, the Human Factors Society undertook a survey of its membership (Sanders, Bied, & Curran, 1986) with one of the goals being to collect systematic data on what HF people do and need to know in their work. The objective of this symposium is to present information obtained from that survey and to discuss the implications of those data for certification, accreditation, and graduate education. The symposium is organized around two paper presentations. The first focuses on the activities performed by human factors professionals (Curran, Bied Sperling, & Sanders, 1986). The second deals with subject-matter areas considered important in the work of HF professionals (Bied Sperling, Curran, & Sanders, 1986). Comparisons are made between masters and doctorates, those with degrees from engineering departments and those with degrees from psychology departments, and those working in various types of organizations. Following the paper presentations, three panel members discuss the implications of the results for certification, accreditation, and graduate education. The three panel members are Ken Laughery Sr. (Chair of the Professional Standards Committee), Colin Drury (Member of Accreditation Subcommittee), and Robert Blanchard (Chair of the Certification Subcommittee). In addition to their involvement in accreditation and certification, they also represent psychology and engineering graduate programs, and industry perspectives. The discussants will address the implications of the results presented in the papers. The questions to be addressed will include: What differences in accreditation criteria are suggested by the differences between masters and doctorates and between psychologists and engineers? Should there be separate certifications for those with psychology and engineering degrees? Should there be separate accreditation criteria and requirements for psychology and engineering programs? Are our education programs adequately preparing students? Can two or three specialized human factors courses make an experimental psychologist or industrial engineer a human factors specialist? Are we making the best use of the talents of masters and doctorate level people on the job? Are we requiring knowledges and skills in our graduate programs that do not seem to be important on the job? The discussion and information presented in this symposium will be valuable for: (1) assessing whether graduate programs are providing the knowledges and skills actually used and considered important on the job; (2) assuring that a HFS certification program has content validity and addresses competencies actually needed by HF specialists; and (3) counseling students considering human factors as a career field.

Workvests (Lifevests) Used for Dredge Mining

This paper presents a study to develop an improved workvest (lifevest) for use on dredge mining operations. A prototype workvest having several innovative ergonomic and safety features was developed based on interviews with dredge workers. A series of three experiments was conducted to investigate the effects of workvest features on worker comfort and body movement. Later a field study was conducted in which workers wore the workvest for 30 days while performing tasks.

HFS Job Description Survey: Where We Work, What We Do

This paper reports findings from a survey of members, fellows, and associates of the Human Factors Society living in the continental US. Data are presented on gender, ethnic background, salary, types of organizations in which we work, workgroup size and composition, and activities performed on the job. Analyses are presented by highest degree held and by type of organization.

HFS Job Description Survey: Job Dimensions, Satisfaction, and Motivation

This paper presents the findings of a nationwide survey of members, fellows, and associates of the Human Factors Society. The survey contained the short form of the Job Diagnostic Survey which measures objective characteristics of jobs, particularly the degree to which jobs are designed to inhance motivation, and job satisfaction. Compared to a Professional-Technical nationwide normative sample, human factors professionals are more satisfied with their jobs and their jobs contain higher levels of motivating characteristics. Results are discussed by highest degree obtained and type of organization.

Assessing Visibility from Underground Coal Mining Equipment

A task analytic approach was used to define information requirements and visual features which served as sources of information for operations of continuous miners, shuttle cars and scoops. Information requirements were prioritized and the location of visual features determined. From this analysis, visual attention locations, containing one or more important visual features, were identified. A procedure was developed for assessing whether operators in existing machines could be expected to see the visual attention locations. The procedure makes use of a Human Eye Reference Measurement Instrument (HERMI) designed for this project and an outside-in photographic procedure.

Personal Equipment Design for Low Coal Mines

This paper presents the results of three studies investigating alternative designs for personal equipment carried by low seam coal miners. The first part reports on an evaluation of a coiled cap-lamp cord designed to reduce the incidence and severity of snagging and catching accidents. The second part reports on the effect of battery pack size and weight on speed of human locomotion. The last part describes a study designed to assess the effect of various configurations of retroreflective material affixed to miners outer garments on detection in a simulated mine environment.