Objective
The project will identify the ergonomic requirements of a man-machine interface for a proposed automated system to be installed in a rolling shop: and evaluate these recommendations on a prototype.
1. Assessment of the revamping process and the new organisational model.
2. Critical assessment of the system after revamping.
3. Assessment of the work situation one year after revamping.
4. Joint reorganisation of No 2 strip mill.
5. Assessment of ergonomic measures.
Ways and Means to Achieve the Work
The work will proceed in the following manner.
1.Identification of the main critical points
The following sources will be exploited:
- existing documentation on rolling mill activities, of an "objective" nature (information recorded by the automated system) and "subjective" (internal records of the different departments concerned);
- interviews with operatives from the different departments;
- feedback and "follow-on" instructions for the operatives directly involved at the critical points.
2. Analysis of the man/automation interface
The point of this analysis will be to set out:
a) The operator profile(s) which the technology used and the design engineers have adopted as a reference.
b) The mental image(s) which operatives have of the present system and of the automated system and how it works.
For the purposes of (a) the analysis will be carried out by means of:
- interviews with the design engineers;
- observation of the physical layout of workstations;
- analysis of manuals and operational procedures;
- analysis of any alternative solutions developed in situ by the operatives.
For (b) there will be analysis of:
- distribution of decisions and responsibilities between man and the automated system;
- degree of operative autonomy and control vis-a-vis the overall process;
- potential and scope for intervention in critical situations;
- existence of any constraints or hurdles to regulation;
- the characteristics of backup provided by the automated system and by the overall organisation in the event of critical situations;
- quality of communications between operatives in different departments.
3.Proposal of technological and organisational solutions and possible development of prototype situations for the purposes of ergonomics evaluation.
Programme(s)
Topic(s)
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74100 Taranto
Italy