HSE Investigation - Any News ?
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HSE Investigation - Any News ?
No.....I am not press, just a controller with concerns about how NATS management continually ride roughshod over its' staff........and hoping for some "payback" in the light of the recent Rail Disaster findings.. .. .Or will it all be brushed under the carpet ?. .. .Any news ?? Or thoughts ??
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No news yet. Any real activities pertaining to the inspection are currently on hold pending the imminent (and it's been imminent - like tomorrow - for the past 5 weeks!) publication of the HSE report.. .. .The question we probably want to ask ourselves now is: what is causing the delay? Are people finding it so difficult to come up with the right wording <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="eek.gif" /> ? Think about that for a while and you might be able to answer your own question (or am I just being cynical <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" /> ?).
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The HSE report has now been received by NATS. It doesn't seem to have a reference, but I'm presuming that it will be put onto the HSE website (see below) at some point soon.. .. .The report makes recommendations about action required, but does not set a timescale by which time any action should be complete (i.e. they're not currently proposing a follow-up inspection) <img border="0" title="" alt="[Frown]" src="frown.gif" /> .. .. .<a href="http://www.hse.gov.uk/new/index.htm" target="_blank">http://www.hse.gov.uk/new/index.htm</a>
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*SIGH*. .. .Seems to me as though the HSE has been "got at" !!!!!!!!!!!!!. .. .I might have known, it would be FAR too politically sensetive to have the whole thing dragged out in to the public.. .. .Or am *I* being cynnical too !!
Beady Eye
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For info there is a workshop on the 25th Mar which your individual watch Unison Rep has been told to get people along to for their opinion of 4 new fonts being considered for electronics at LACC. These fonts have been especially developed for display screens.. .Hopefully there will be some consensus and we can start the process of changing SOME of the screen elements. But as I've said before, don't raise your expectations and don't expect it in a week or a month or 2 months. Lot of testing needs to be done on these things before they get deployed 'live'.
Join Date: Jan 2001
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</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica"> don't expect it in a week or a month or 2 months. Lot of testing needs to be done on these things before they get deployed 'live'. </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica">.. .. .Sounds like an excuse to me.. .. .How convenient for a cash strapped NATS. As usual no sense of URGENCY. Have they really been "let off" by HSE, or has that report been watered down by governmental direction (spin)? . .. .As I understand it the FAA changed their fonts on DSR (not too dissimilar to NERC... another LORAL/IBM/Lockheed product) on the direction of Ms. Garvey (the Director) in a very short time. . .. .NATCA went to her with the problem about illegible fonts on their new kit.The managers squirmed about costs, but Ms.Garvey showed some leadership and said "FIX IT, NOW!" Guess what? It got fixed. . .. .Compare and contrast with the UK experience. All we get is "don't get your hopes up" or "it could take months". All complete B****CKS. With a bit of LEADERSHIP it COULD BE DONE.. .. .BEX
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BEXIL. .There are millions of lines of code in the NERC program. Are you SERIOUSLY suggesting shortcutting the testing in the interests of expediency? I think you'll find that most people would put SAFETY first.. .For all those awaiting the HSE report. It is no secret but 17 pages. So below are the 7 recommendations (or deficiencies, however you want to view them):. .. .1. The clarity and readability of the information on the radar screens should be reviewed with a view to making further improvements. From the figures provided it appears that the character heights comply with the minimum set out in ISO 9241-3 when viewed from about 750mm (i.e. 16’ of arc), but it is clear that readability is an issue. It may be possible to further enlarge the text so that it falls within the preferred range (20’-22’ of arc). If not then clarity will need to be improved using other techniques such as improving the luminance contrast, or through the judicious use of colour.. .. .2. The display screens are limited by their 60 Hz refresh rate. In order to minimise the perception (and effects) of flicker a fundamental review of the screen design should be considered with increased use of negative polarity images (i.e. light text on a dark background), although care will be needed that this does not increase the effect of any reflections on the screen. Ultimately the screens should be replaced with ones which are capable of a 75 Hz refresh rate or better. Information has been provided demonstrating that NATS has been investigating the use of large LCD screens as a possible future replacement.. .. .3. The design of the keyboard is not ideal and does not comply with ISO 9241-4 in terms of its overall height and lack of adjustable tilt. The risk of upper limb problems from use of the keyboard appears to be greatest, but still fairly low, for Planners and Assistants. Further work in the form of a suitable and sufficient risk assessment may be required to more accurately determine the level of risk. Appropriate steps should be taken to minimise this risk. These might include provision of some form of movable wrist support in front of the keyboard, and ultimately replacement of the keyboard with an ISO 9241-4 compliant design.. .. .4. The usability of the mouse should be reviewed to ensure that its setup (sensitivity/gain) is appropriate, even when used with a mat. All staff should be offered a suitable mouse mat for use with the mouse. NATS should check that there is sufficient space available for resting the wrist/forearm whilst operating the mouse and take appropriate steps if there is not.. .. .5. The position of the auxiliary SIS display should be reviewed. Its overall height should preferably be reduced so that the top of the screen is no higher than the user’s eyes.. .. .6. The suitability of the chairs for all operators should be checked. In particular NATS needs to ensure that when the chair is adjusted to the appropriate height for the user that the armrests (even if adjustable) do not prevent them from pulling the chair close to the workstation.. .. .7. The design of the footrest should be evaluated to ensure it provides adequate support to all shorter users, and a suitable replacement provided if it does not.
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Shurely Shome Mishtake... I am SURE that is NOT what BEX intended at all !! Mind you, I suppose you wanted to have a dig at him, eh ?? <img border="0" title="" alt="[Mad]" src="mad.gif" /> . .. .Anyway, thank you for copying that text. Anyone would think that it wasn't urgent.....and I think that's what BEX (and others, I have no doubt, ar concerned about !). .. .I am left to wonder exactly what the Lawyers would make of all this in a Court of Law should the unthinkable happen !!!!
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Nogbad:. .No intent to have a go at BEXIL, just pointing out that there is no shortcut, irrespective of what is perceived of as management inertia.. .. .What would the lawyers think? They'd be rubbing their hands in glee at the PILES of money to be made. The HSE says that the font size meet the legal standard but want more improvements done. Lawyers could drag this out for years and years!! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Roll Eyes]" src="rolleyes.gif" />
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The greatest consumer of time in this area will be specifing the change. To do this properly will involve several months of work asking questions like. .. .1) Does everyone like the new font (The answer here will be no, so someone somewhere will be unhappy). .. .2) By changing the font will this have an adverse effect elsewhere? (Almost certainly, so that needs to be detailed). .. .Then of course the change will have to be prototyped.. .. .Then coded. .. .Then Tested as a display. .. .Tested as Full system. .. .Regression tested to make sure nothing else has broken. .. .Then and only then can it go to OPS. .. .Rush this and you are asking for trouble.. .. .PS the Display software is written by Thales not LM so you can't "borrow" the DSR changes
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Let me see if I have read this right...the HSE report hasn't found anything really bad, just the chairs, displays, keyboards and mouses...so basically everything you guys have to use. Well thats alright then!!!!
