Overview
EN ISO 11064-7:2006 - “Ergonomic design of control centres - Part 7: Principles for the evaluation of control centres” (CEN adoption of ISO 11064-7:2006) defines ergonomic principles, requirements, recommendations and guidelines for evaluating control centres. It addresses evaluation of the control suite, control room, workstations, displays and controls, and the work environment. The standard applies to all types of control centres (process industry, transport systems, emergency dispatching) and, while focused on non‑mobile centres, many principles are relevant to mobile environments (ships, aircraft).
Key topics and technical requirements
- Verification & Validation (V&V) integration: V&V activities must be integral to the design lifecycle, occurring throughout the project and conducted as early as practicable to allow corrective action.
- V&V plan: A formal V&V plan is required early in the project and should document objectives (e.g., safety, human performance, error reduction), scope, criteria, methods, resources, team roles, schedule and interfaces with design and QA.
- Evaluation scope and criteria: The standard sets out how to define the scope of evaluation, acceptance criteria and measures for human‑system interaction, workload, situation awareness and task performance.
- Methods and measures: Guidance on selecting V&V methods, collecting objective evidence, and ensuring validity (face, predictive) of evaluation instruments and techniques.
- Team and resources: Requirements for V&V team composition, responsibilities and resources (staff, equipment, facilities).
- Terminology & concepts: Defines key terms such as evaluation process (V&V), human engineering discrepancy (HED), resolution, validation, verification, situation awareness and workload.
- Supporting material: Informative annexes include checklists for the V&V process, recommended evaluation workflows and a catalogue of V&V methods.
Practical applications and users
Who uses EN ISO 11064-7:2006:
- Project managers and systems engineers planning control‑centre projects
- Human factors / ergonomics specialists conducting V&V
- Acceptance engineers and test teams performing commissioning
- Purchasers, suppliers and integrators specifying human‑centred requirements
- Regulatory bodies and safety assessors evaluating operator interfaces
Practical benefits:
- Improves operator performance and safety by detecting human‑system design issues early
- Provides structured V&V processes to reduce human error and increase usability
- Supports procurement and acceptance tests with documented criteria and methods
Related standards
- ISO 11064 (other parts): Part 1 (design principles), Part 2 (control suites), Part 3 (control room layout), Part 4 (workstation layout/dimensions), Part 6 (environmental requirements)
- ISO 13407 / ISO 9241‑210: Human‑centred design processes for interactive systems
Keywords: EN ISO 11064-7:2006, ergonomic design, control centres, evaluation, verification and validation, control room ergonomics, human factors, V&V plan.
