A standard on human response to vibration--one of a new breed?
Human response to vibration is used as an example for consideration of the requirements of standards in the human factors field. It is suggested that standards relating to people may be concerned primarily with the design of equipment for optimum satisfaction of users, and that this demands a different approach to standards if they are to be effective. It is argued that a clear distinction should be made between standards intended to protect people from harmful conditions, standards intended to minimise the risk of people being harmed, and standards intended to give advice and information. In the case of human response to vibration it is suggested that standards should relate to agreed methods of measurement and assessment, limitations to preserve health, limitations to be applied in specific situations in order to prevent the risk of accidents, together with a data base for designers to work from.
Sandover
J
J
Department of Human Sciences,University of Technology, Loughborough, USA.