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HUMAN FACTORS/ERGONOMICS: Key to the layout of a control building and
control room are the key ergonomic issues that directly effect the Operators (shown above). Our planning and ergonomic
studies include: site requirement studies; blast radius studies if/as required; personnel, task and operational analysis;
traffic flow and adjacency studies; unit-to-console arrangement flow diagrams and planning; console layout and accessory planning;
emergency equipment plannning; glare & reflection studies; and detailed lighting design and fixture specification.
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Whereas the process of a refinery follows a prescribed flow, so should the location
and adjacencies of the consoles. Widely accepted ergonomic practice is to have the consoles positioned for left-to-right flow
of the process, with closely related process units situated within a sector, or close grouping of consoles. Consoles controlling
units such as Utilities, Oil Movements, SRU, etc. can normally reside in non-adjacent locations.
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Traffic
flow study, of an 'existing' control room shows traffic routes during a typical 1/2 hour period, during shift change.
Having all this traffic to the 'backs-of-all-Operators' is a significant distraction. Another often overlooked human
factors issue is positioning of the consoles in the control room, with respect to the process units under control.
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The consoles must provide: appropriate number and positioning of screens and keyboards;
legible and understandible graphics; immediate access to communication handsets; plenty of clear workspace for paperwork;
and complete control over individual levels of lighting.
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