Human Factors & Ergonomics Standards

Internet Links for Standards and Guidelines.

Standards & Guidelines

This page lists the primary standards and guidelines for Ergonomics, Human Factors, User Interface Design, and Website Design.

Our Role

Usernomics can assist your company in making your products easy to learn, easy to use, aesthetically pleasing, and marketable. Our User Interface Design and Usability Testing professionals design both hardware and software products. Their experience covers a wide range of products including web-based and application software, consumer products, communication systems, and vehicles such as automobiles and aircraft.

We can also assist your company to make your workplace safe, efficient, and in compliance. Our Ergonomics Engineers apply a rigorous and systematic technique to ensure a hazard-free and worker-safe environment. We evaluate, design, and train your people to create an ongoing active safety program in your company. Our experience covers a wide range of workplace environments including the office, manufacturing floor, warehouse, and vehicles.

Internet Links

As a service to our professional community, we are pleased to bring you a great starting place for locating information about standards and guidelines for each of our disciplines.

The Standards have been loosely categorized by major discipline. However, there is overlap between agencies and organizations so note the Standard Number, agency or organization publishing the standard. You may want to look in more than one category to find the appropriate standard.

Scroll down or click on one of the following topics for standards in:

• Human Factors / Engineering Psychology
• User Interface Design / HCI
• Workplace Ergonomics / Safety
• Website Design / Computing

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Human Factors

• BSR/HFES100 - Human Factors Engineering of Computer Workstations This standard guides designers on ways to accommodate variation both in the size of individual users and manner of usage. It also provides guidance to the individuals who must integrate individual workstation components designed for a wide variety of users into a system that fits the intended individual user.
• Critical Task Analysis Report (DI-HFAC-81399) describes the results of analyses of critical tasks performed by the contractor to provide a basis for evaluation of the design of the system, equipment, or facility. (PDF File)
• Critical Task Analysis Report (FAA-HF-004) describes the results of analyses of critical tasks performed to provide a basis for evaluation of the design of the system, equipment, or facility. (Document File)
• Do it By Design: An Introduction to Human Factors in Medical Devices The Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH), part of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), develops and implements national programs and regulations to protect the public with respect to devices and radiological health.
• Human Engineering Design Approach Document - Maintainer (FAA-HF-003) provides a source of data to evaluate the extent to which equipment having an interface with maintainers meets human performance requirements and human engineering criteria. (Document File)
• Human Engineering Design Approach Document - Maintainer (DI-HFAC-80747C) describes design/interface requirements of equipment that must be maintained. This document provides a source of data to evaluate the extent to which equipment having an interface with maintainers meets human performance requirements and human engineering criteria. (Document File)
• Human Engineering Design Approach Document - Operator (FAA-HF-002) provides a source of data to evaluate the extent to which equipment having an interface with operators meets human performance requirements and human engineering criteria. (Document File)
• Human Engineering Design Approach - Operator [DI-HFAC-80746A] describes equipment which interfaces with operators. This document provides a source of data to evaluate the extent to which equipment having an interface with operators meets human performance requirements and human engineering criteria. (PDF File)
• Human Engineering Design Data Digest" This booklet is a digest of material appearing in MIL-STD-1472, and is complemented with material from MIL-HDBK-759 and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Human Factors Design Guide. The Digest is a product of the Human Factors Standardization SubTAG with the assistance of FAA. (Document File)
• Human Engineering - Principles and Practices (HEB1) This Bulletin and its annexes provide guidance to the application of human engineering principles and practices in the analysis, design, development, testing, fielding, support, and training for military and commercial systems, equipment, and facilities.
• Human Engineering Program Plan (FAA-HF-001) is the single document which describes the contractors entire human engineering program, identifies its elements, and explains how the elements will be managed. This document is used by the procuring activity as the principal basis for approval of the contractors program and as one basis for review of the contractors progress. (Document File)
• Human Engineering Simulation Concept (DI-HFAC-80742B) describes the contractor's intended use of mockups and simulators in support of human engineering analysis, design support, and test and evaluation. (PDF File)
• Human Engineering Simulation Description (DI-HFAC-80742C) describes the contractors intended use of mockups and simulators in support of human engineering analysis, requirements definition/implementation, design support, and test and evaluation. (Document File)
• Human Engineering Simulation Concept (FAA-HF-005) describes the contractors intended use of mockups and simulators in support of human engineering analysis, design support, and test and evaluation. (Document File)
• Human Engineering Systems Analysis Report (DI-HFAC-80745C) describes the human engineering efforts conducted as part of the system analysis and present results. The data are used by the procuring activity to evaluate the appropriateness and feasibility of system functions and roles allocated to operators and maintainers. (Document File)
• Human Factors Design Guidelines for Advanced Traveler Information and Commercial Vehicle Operations is one of a series reports produced as part of a contract designed to develop precise, detailed human factors design guidelines for Advanced Traveler Information Systems (ATIS) and Commercial Vehicle Operations (CVO).
• Index of Non-Government Standards on Human Engineering Design Criteria and Program Requirements / Guidelines provides a comprehensive list of non-government specifications and standards. (Document File)
• International Commission on Illumination (CIE) Provides an international forum for the discussion of all matters relating to the science, technology and art in the fields of light and lighting and for the interchange of information in these fields between countries.
• International Specification for Technical Publications utilising a Common Source DataBase (Specification S1000D) This Specification has been produced to establish standards for the documentation of any civil or military vehicle or equipment. It is based on international standards such as SGML/XML and CGM for production and use of electronic documentation.
• MIL-HDBK-759C DoD Handbook - Handbook for Human Engineering Design Guidelines provides basic guidelines and data on human engineering design for military systems, equipment, and facilities. (PDF File)
• MIL-HDBK-759C, Change Notice 1 Change #1 to 759C above. (PDF File)
• MIL-HDBK-759C, Change Notice 2 Change #2 to 759C above. (PDF File)
• Man-Systems Integration Standards, NASA-STD-3000 was created to provide a single, comprehensive document defining all generic requirements for space facilities and related equipment which directly interface with crewmembers.
• MIL STD 1472F - Revision F Human Engineering Design Criteria Purchase the entire 1472F standard.
• MIL-STD-1472F DOD Design Criteria Standard - Human Engineering establishes general human engineering criteria for design and development of military systems, equipment and facilities. (PDF File)
• MIL STD 1472D - Human Engineering Design Criteria for Military Systems Equipment and Facilities This standard establishes general human engineering criteria for design and development of Military systems, equipment and facilities
• MIL-STD-1474D DoD Design Criteria Standard - Noise Limits defines three different "noise criteria" used to limit noise exposure: a) hearing damage-risk criteria (DRC); b) hearing conservation criteria; c) material design standards. (PDF File)
• MIL-STD-1474D, Change Notice 1 Changes to 1474D above. (PDF File)
• MIL-HDBK-1908B DoD Handbook - Definitions of Human Factors Terms was created to eliminate definition overlap, duplication, and conflict, and to minimize the length of human factors (HFAC) standardization documents. (PDF File)
• MilStd1474D-Department of Defense Design Criteria Standard: Noise Limits This is an ABSTRACT of a standard that establishes acoustical noise limits and prescribes testing requirements and measurement techniques for determining conformance to the noise limits
• MIL-HDBK-46855A DoD Handbook - Human Engineering Program Process and Procedures provides a single easy-to-use source of human factors design criteria, oriented to the needs of the FAA mission and systems.
• NASA Human Factors Standard combines in one document all of the crew interface, Human Factors, Human Factors Engineering, and Ergonomics requirements necessary to design, build, test, and evaluate any hardware or software which a crew member will need to interface with in a zero-g, micro-g, or multiple-g environment while traveling in the vacuum of outer space.
• Noise Measurement Report (NMR) (DI-HFAC-80938)] is used for evaluation of noise measurement levels.
• Task Analysis/Task Allocation Report (DI-HFAC-81399B) describes the results of analyses of tasks performed by the contractor to provide a basis for evaluation of the design of the system, equipment, or facility. (Document File)

User Interface Design

• ANSI HCI Standards from IBM Ease of Use site.
• The GNOME Usability Project The GNOME project was born as an effort to create an entirely free desktop environment for free systems. From the start, the main objective of GNOME has been to provide a user friendly suite of applications and an easy-to-use desktop. The Usability Project strives to make the GNOME experience as pleasant and efficient as possible.
• GNOME 2.0 Human Interface Guidelines These guidelines are meant to help you write applications that are easy to use and consistent with the Gnome desktop.
• Guidelines for Designing User Interface Software This report offers guidelines for design of user interface software in six functional areas: data entry, data display, sequence control, user guidance, data transmission, and data protection.
• KDE Usability Project The KDE Usability Project is an initiative to find defects and problems in areas of usability and KDE.
• Mac OS X Human Interface Guidelines MAC OS Guidelines.
• NASA-STD-3000 Man-System Integration Standards Was created to provide a single, comprehensive document defining all generic requirements for space facilities and related equipment which directly interface with crewmembers. This document provides specific user information to ensure proper integration of human-system interface requirements with those of other aerospace disciplines. Video images from relevant space missions are also provided to illustrate human factors design concerns.
• Quality In Use Meeting User Needs for Quality by Bevan, 1999. (PDF File)
• The Use of Guidelines in Menu Interface Design by de Souza and Bevan, 1990. (PDF File)

Workplace Ergonomics / Safety

• ANSI B11 U.S. Department of Labor summary of ergonomic guidelines for the design, installation and use of machine tools.
• ANSI Z-365 Control of Cumulative Trauma Disorders. (PDF File)
• ANSI / HFES 100-1998 Ergonomic Review of the Most Commonly Used Office Tools and Accessories. (PDF File)
• ANSI The American National Standards Institute has a wide range of U.S. standards.
• BSI The British Standards Institute has both national and international standards.
• ISO Standards The Bluffer's Guide to ISO 9241 - Contains summaries and information about many sections of ISO 9241. The purpose is to provide a no-cost summary so you know if you really want to purchase the standard from ISO and to give enough of an overview to "bluff your way through a meeting."
• Disability Access to GNOME
• GNOME - Designing for Disabilities.
• Draft ISO Standards Drafts of new standards and are available for purchase.
• ISO National Standards Body ISO standards for each country.
• ISO Standards The complete list of all ISO Standards that must be purchased.
• NSSN The National Resource for Global Standards where you can obtain several standards electronically.
• State of California Ergonomics Rule from OSHA. OSHA standards for California.
• All States Ergonomics Rule OSHA ergonomics rules by State.

Website Design / Computing

• Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Standards The Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board) is issuing final accessibility standards for electronic and information technology covered by section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998.
• IMS Guidelines for Developing Accessible Learning Applications The Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board) is issuing final accessibility standards for electronic and information technology covered by section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998.
• Making Educational Software and Web Sites Accessible CPB/WGBH National Center for Accessible Media (NCAM)published these standards to capture access challenges and solutions and present them in a format specifically designed to educate and assist educational software developers.
• Seagate Web Style Guide Anatomy of a page, colors, page types, graphics. (PDF File)
• Telstra: Online Standards Universal Accessibility, Authentication and Authorization, Use of Images, Use of Flash, Minimum Screen Resolution, Use of Frames, Labels, Titles and Headings, System Feedback and Messages, Webforms, Return to top of Page Link, Topic Navigation Buttons, Flyout Menus (Tertiary Navigation).
• Theater Battle Management (TBM) This document provides a standard for those characteristics of the Human Computer Interface (HCI) that must be consistent to permit users to use Theater Battle Management (TBM) systems with minimum distractions and training. It includes both design guidance and a framework for the HCI design rule development process. The HCI specifications will be continually updated as the TBM system development progresses.
• User Agent Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 (W3C) This document provides guidelines for designing user agents that lower barriers to Web accessibility for people with disabilities (visual, hearing, physical, cognitive, and neurological). User agents include HTML browsers and other types of software that retrieve and render Web content.
• W3C Checklist of Checkpoints for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 Provides a list of all checkpoints from the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0, organized by concept, as a checklist for Web content developers.
• W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines Working Group (WCAG WG) Is a description of current work being conducted by W3C.
• W3C Cascading Style Sheets, level 1 This document specifies level 1 of the Cascading Style Sheet mechanism (CSS1).
• W3C Cascading Style Sheets, level 2 This specification defines Cascading Style Sheets, level 2 (CSS2).
• W3C HTML 4.01 Specification This specification defines the HyperText Markup Language (HTML), the publishing language of the World Wide Web.
• World-Wide Web Consortium Web Accessibility Initiative Yale Web Style Guide is a widely used and widely praised Web style guide, available in book form.

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