CONTROL ROOM DESIGN

Control rooms have changed markedly in recent years as automation and self-monitoring systems are incorporated. The control room staff are moving into monitoring staff until they immediately have to cope with emergencies.

Our consultants created Control Room designs for a new nuclear facility, and also advised on control rooms for over-ground rail and sub-surface rail.

One control room video-wall design we came across was so large the operator had to sit many metres away to see it all, as they were sat so far away, they could not read the display. A cautionary tale.

We provide a range of services including:

Advice on lighting arrangements that minimise glare discomfort
User Interface design and prototyping
Advice on alarms systems to ensure the operators are able to understand, process and respond correctly, even during potentially high workload and stressful periods
Writing Alarm Philosophies using standards, such as EEMUA 191 and ANSI/ISA-18.2, for alarm management
Assessment and measurement of individual and team workload, to identify pinch points and suggest options to increase effectiveness
Mitigating the potential loss of attention as control rooms develop more into monitoring rooms
We can supply anthropometric drawings showing sight lines in control rooms
We can assist in the design and layout of control consoles and panels