Objective
The object of the work will be as follows:
1. To specify on the basis of ergonomic/safety desirability, engineering practicality and cost viable retrofit improvements to the ergonomic aspects of the design of a sample of locomotives from the existing BCC fleet.
2. To implement the modification defined in 1 above.
3. To undertake operational appraisal of the modified locomotives.
4. To examine the feasibility of developing generic guidelines on viable ergonomic improvements which can be achieved by retrofit to complement the existing ergonomic guidelines for new designs.
Ways and Means to Achieve the Work
The recommendations detailed in the minimum requirements document and the Mason & Simpson (1990) guidelines "Ergonomic Principles in the Design of Underground Locomotives" will be examined by a team consisting of TSRE Ergonomists and Group/Colliery and TSRE Engineers (plus, where appropriate engineers from manufacturing companies) to assess the viability of retrofits against a combination of the following criteria:
- Ergonomic/safety priority.
- Engineering practicality.
- Cost.
On the basis of this assessment a series of agreed changes will then be implemented on a single locomotive of each of the types studies.
Each modified locomotive will then undergo underground operational trials where the following assessments will be undertaken:
- Re-appraisal by a standard man-machine ergonomic assessment.
- User-trial questionnaires for drivers comparing modified with previous designs on critical driving and safety considerations.
- Human error potential assessment.
As a result of each individual field trial an assessment of improvement against cost will be undertaken and recommendations made on the wider introduction of the changes.
The individual assessments will then be collated and examined for the identification of generic guidance on retrofit improvements. For example some ergonomic improvements may be more easily achieved on diesel rather than battery locomotives, improvements on the overall space envelope for drivers may prove to be generally impractical or excessively expensive whereas a change in choice of headlight may provide widely applicable benefit at little cost or inconvenience.
These generic assessments will be made by the team of ergonomists and BCC/Manufacturer's engineers.
The work will be undertaken in four stages:
1. Assessment at desk-top of the viable retrofit ergonomic improvements to a sample of existing long-life locomotives.
2. Fabrication of the modifications defined under 1 above.
3. Underground trials of modified locomotives.
4. Evaluation of the possibility of generic guidelines for ergonomic retrofit.
Programme(s)
Topic(s)
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DE15 0QD Burton upon Trent
United Kingdom