Overview
EN ISO 11064-1:2000 - Ergonomic design of control centres (Part 1) sets out the principles and requirements for ergonomic design of new control centres and for expansions, refurbishment or technology upgrades. Published by CEN and identical to ISO 11064-1:2000, it applies across industries-process plants, transport and logistics control systems and people‑deployment systems-and covers core control rooms, control suites and local control stations. The standard promotes a human‑centred design approach to reduce human error and improve safety, efficiency and operator wellbeing.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Human‑centred design principles: Emphasises designing the work system (humans, machines, environment and operations) for safety, health and performance.
- Integration of ergonomics into engineering: Ergonomic activities and tools must be embedded in project management, planning, procurement and commissioning.
- Iterative design and validation: Design is iterative - verification and validation activities are required throughout to confirm that operator needs and specified requirements are met.
- Design process framework: The document defines a phased ergonomic design process (Phase A–E):
- Phase A: Clarification
- Phase B: Analysis and definition
- Phase C: Conceptual design
- Phase D: Detailed design
- Phase E: Operational feedback
- Terminology and functional analysis: Defines control centre, control room, control suite, function allocation, functional analysis/specification, task analysis, validation and verification to support structured requirements development.
- Scope of application: Primarily for fixed control centres; many principles are also relevant to mobile control centres (ships, aircraft).
- Normative references: Cross‑references key ergonomics standards (for example ISO 6385 and ISO 11064‑3).
Practical applications
EN ISO 11064-1:2000 is used to:
- Guide ergonomic requirements for design or refurbishment of control rooms and operator workstations.
- Inform procurement specifications for control‑room hardware/software and layout.
- Structure human factors and safety assessments during system upgrades and automation projects.
- Support training, commissioning and operational feedback activities to ensure usability and reduce error.
Who should use this standard
- Human factors/ergonomics specialists and control room designers
- Systems engineers, control system integrators and facility planners
- Project managers responsible for control centre construction or upgrades
- Safety engineers, operations managers and regulators focusing on control‑room performance
Related standards
- ISO 6385 - Ergonomic principles in the design of work systems
- ISO 11064 series (Parts 2–8) - control suite arrangement, control room layout, workstation dimensions, displays & controls, environmental requirements, evaluation and application‑specific requirements
EN ISO 11064-1:2000 is essential for any organization aiming to design or upgrade control centres with a structured, evidence‑based ergonomic approach to improve operator performance, safety and system reliability.
