A Process for Usability Testing of Lifesaving Equipment

Details

• Personal Author:
  Fernando R ; Kosmoski C ; Porter W
• Description:
  Usability for any product, and especially for a lifesaving device, is critical in that the users will be interacting with the device in a highly stressful and complex environment. This study examined self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBAs) and conducted a usability assessment of these SCBAs with refill stations as it pertains to mine escape. Data was collected examining three usability topic areas (effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction) and eight constructs within these topic areas (completeness, accuracy, time requirements, overall satisfaction, discomfort, ease of use, system performance, and user preference). This paper documents the usability framework adopted and the methodology used to answer the research questions of the study and includes sample results and discussion. The methodology presented can be modified and used to test other lifesaving technologies to compare the usability of the devices and to estimate the ability of the devices to function as expected in a lifesaving situation. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Mining Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Mine Disasters Mine Escapes Mine Fires Mine Safety Mining Industry SCBA Self Contained Breathing Apparatus Underground Mines Underground Mining
• Series:
  Mining Publications
• ISSN:
  1071-1813
• Publisher:
  Human Factors and Ergonomics Society
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Proceedings
• Place as Subject:
  District of Columbia ; OSHA Region 3 ; Pennsylvania
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  PMRD - Pittsburgh Mining Research Division
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  60
• Issue:
  1
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20049103
• Citation:
  Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society 60th Annual Meeting, September 19-23, 2016, Washington, DC. Santa Monica, CA: Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, 2016 Sep; 60(1):1093-1097
• Contact Point Address:
  William Porter, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Pittsburgh Mining Research Division, 626 Cochrans Mill Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15236 U.S.A.
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2016
• NORA Priority Area:
  Mining
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society 60th Annual Meeting, September 19-23, 2016, Washington, DC
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:bb7d95da242de750cfecb3434784b5ce3ba8f1123c8e22ab52ea2be850736918c833700edc6cb3ab9c50df47b86d26e7ee5c7213ac12761e1f6de112f862c01a
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/228319/cdc_228319_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.17 MB ]