Previous research has shown that even though a ship may fulfil all regulations, crew activities related to fire safety can still be impaired by the design of working environments, equipment and system interfaces. Although a wealth of guidance exists on the integration of Human-Centered Design (HCD) principles into ship design, such design practices remain uncommon within the industry. There is a need of research that describes how the ship design and construction process can be augmented to better cater for fire safety-related operative needs, what barriers exist against HCD practices in the design of safety-critical artefacts, and how those barriers can be overcome. Given that the shipping industry adheres closely to regulation, regulatory studies is also a vital part of understanding the position of Human Factors and Ergonomics in ship fire safety design.
Based on results from the Firesafe II and SEBRA projects, one area of fire-safety related design that is in particular need of attention is fire alarm system interface design. The aim of this report is to research development needs in terms of usability and systems integration for fire alarm system interfaces and to turn this knowledge into design requirements that will inform subsequent conceptual and physical design of a fire information management system in LASH FIRE.
Read the full report here.