SANTA MONICA, CA - The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has approved ANSI/HFES 100-2007, Human Factors Engineering of Computer Workstations, as a new American National Standard. The formal announcement was published in Standards Action on November 16, 2007. HFES's previous workstation standard (ANSI/HFS 100-1988) was administratively withdrawn in 1998.
The content and breadth of coverage of the new standard address changes in the arenas of workstation and computer design. The number and types of input devices have increased to include computer mice and other pointing devices, and the displays chapter has been expanded to cover color devices. The furniture chapter now provides four working postures for reference by designers. This reflects the dynamic nature of computer workplaces; additionally, it seeks to correct the misunderstanding that the 90º posture used in ANSI/HFS 100-1988 was "the" correct working posture. Finally, the integration chapter offers guidance regarding how individual elements that are ergonomically well designed can be integrated into a workplace system that is also ergonomically appropriate.
More than 50 individuals participated in the revision committee’s work over a 20-year period. Since the early development days, numerous small working groups have made many contributions to the standard's organization and content.
ANSI/HFES 100-2007 may be purchased online at the HFES Web site. A limited number of copies are available for media purposes and preparation of reviews intended for publication. Contact HFES Communications Director Lois Smith (lois@hfes.org, 310/394-1811).
The Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in September 2007, is a multidisciplinary professional association of more than 4,700 persons in the United States and throughout the world. Its members include psychologists and other scientists, designers, and engineers, all of whom have a common interest in designing systems and equipment to be safe and effective for the people who operate and maintain them. HFES is the largest individual-member human factors/ergonomics organization in the world.