a

NBSIR 88-3827

New Name, Expanded Role

NBS became the National Institute o

lariis and Technology on Aug.

when the Omnibus Trade

. ietitiveness Act was signed.

NIST retains all NBS functions and

its new programs will encourage

improved use of technology by l. industry

NEW NIST PUBL

October 18,

I CAT I ON

1988

Evaluation of the Working

Environment at Selected US Army

Field Stations: Suggestions for

Improvement

Arthur I. Rubin

Belinda L. Collins

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Bureau of Standards

National Engineering Laboratory

Center for Building Technology

Building Environment Division

Gaithersburg, MD 20899

August 1988

Prepared for:

U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command

NBSIR 88-3827

EVALUATION OF THE WORKING

ENVIRONMENT AT SELECTED US ARMY

FIELD STATIONS: SUGGESTIONS FOR

IMPROVEMENT

Arthur I. Rubin

Belinda L. Collins

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Bureau of Standards

National Engineering Laboratory

Center for Building Technology

Building Environment Division

Gaithersburg, MD 20899

August 1988

Prepared for:

U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, C. William Verity, Secretary

NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS, Ernest Ambler, Director

Abstract

In response to concerns expressed by headquarters INSCOM, a detailed

evaluation of environmental conditions in U.S. Army field stations was

undertaken. In the present report, findings and recommendations are

given based on interviews with station personnel, questionnaire responses

from over 600 people in three job types (operator, analyst, and

administrative/other), extensive measurements of physical conditions, and

careful observations of a host of representative activities. Three field

stations were evaluated: Kunia, Augsburg, and Berlin in 1987. The

findings confirm the concerns expressed by headquarters INSCOM; namely,

field station personnel perform their jobs under conditions likely to

impair their effectiveness. These include poor thermal, lighting, and

acoustic conditions, as well as furnishings such as chairs and desks in

very poor repair, equipment that is dysfunctional, and general lack of

regular maintenance in the facilities. Suggestions for improving

conditions in the facilities are presented.

Keywords: Environmental assessment, comfort, glare, lighting, noise,

post-occupancy evaluation, temperature, VDT's.

iii
Foreword

This report is the second in a series of reports by the National Bureau

of Standards on the evaluation of conditions in U.S. Army field stations.

It was supported by the U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command

(USAINSCOM) under contract No. A73050-0134-87 from August 1986 to July

1988. Field evaluations were conducted at Kunia in December 1986 and

April 1988 and at Berlin and Augsburg in June - July, 1987.

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank all the people at the field stations and

headquarters who cooperated with us in the course of this research.

Without their willing and enthusiastic cooperation, this report would not

have been possible. They also would like to thank Peter Goodin and

Belinda Kuo for their assistance in data reduction.

Disclaimer

Any commercial products or tradenames mentioned in this report are

included for informational purposes only, and do not constitute an

endorsement or recommendation by the National Bureau of Standards or the

U.S. Army

iv
Table of Contents

Executive Summary viii

1 . Background 1

1.1 Objectives of the study 1 1.2 Technical Approach 2

1 . 3 Phase 1 2

1.4 Phase 2 2

1 . 5 Scope of the Current Report 3

2. Experimental Procedures 4

2 . 1 Questionnaire Survey 4

2.2 Physical Measurements 4

2.2.1 Temperature and Humidity Measurements 5

2.2.2 Acoustic Measurements 6

2.2.3 Illumination Measurements 6

2.3 Observations 6

2.4 Interviews 7

3. The Buildings 8

3.1 Building Systems 8

3.1.1 Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) . 8

3.1.2 Lighting 11

3.1.3 Acoustics 14

3.1.4 Air Quality 16

3.2 Break Areas 18

3.3 Maintenance 19

4. Organization of Space 23

4.1 Operations 23

4.2 Analysis 23

4.3 Administrative/Clerical 23

4.4 Space 24

5. Furnishings 27

5.1 Carpets 30

6. Workstation Design - Physical Features of Operations 32

6.1 Equipment 32

6.2 Systems 34

6.3 Headsets 36

6.4 Equipment Maintenance 37

• 7. Job Design 38

7.1 Ergonomics - Organization of Work 39

7.2 Information Systems 40

7 . 3 Data Gathering 40

8. Organizational Issues 41

9. Personal Issues 42

9.1

Training 42

v
9.2 Morale and Motivation 42

9.3 Shift Work 45

9.4 Smoking 45

9.5 Privacy 46

9.6 Isolation 46

10. Planning and Specifications 50

10.1 Equipment Specification Process . 50

11. Recommendations - General 51

11.1 Short Term 51

11.1.1 Furniture systems ...... 51

11.1.2 Heating, Ventilating, and Air-Conditioning Systems . 51

11.1.3 Color of Walls, Carpets, and Furnishings 52

11.1.4 Visual Interest 52

11.1.5 Illumination 53

11.1.6 Acoustics 54

11.1.7 Space 54

11.2 Recommendations - Long term 55

11.2.1 Maintenance ............... 55

11.2.2 Systems and Ergonomics ............... 55

11.2.3 Information Center ................. 56

11.2.4 General Recommendations ....... 56

11.2.5 Particular Issues ... 57

11.3 Design Recommendations ........... 57

11.4 Fitness Reports ..................... 58

12. Summary and Conclusions .............. 59

12.1 Environmental Issues . . ............ 59

12.2 Equipment and Job Design 59

12.3 General Observations . .......... 60

13. References ..... ...... .... 62

Appendix A. Glossary of Terms Used in the Text .......... 63

Appendix B. Transcript of Interviews at the Three Field Stations 66
List of Figures

Figure 1 Reaction to the quality of heating for each location at

each site 10

Figure 2 Reaction to the ability to adjust light for the workstation. 13

Figure 3 Reaction to noise and annoying sounds 15

Figure 4 Reaction to stuffiness at the three sites 17

Figure 5 Reaction to the overall colorfulness at the field stations. 21

Figure 6 Information on the overall satisfaction with space at the

different sites 25

Figure 7 Perception of overall condition of the furniture at the three

field stations 28

Figure 8 Perception of the ability to adjust the back of the chair for

support 30

Figure 9 Data on people's ability to personalize their space at

different locations in the three field stations 33

Figure 10 Data on people's attitudes toward the overall importance of

their work at the field stations 43

Figure 11 Data on people's feelings about the need for accuracy in their

work 44

Figure 12 Data on attitudes about visual privacy at the three field

stations 47

Figure 13 Data on desire for having a view out 49

vii
Executive Summary

The present research project was initiated in response to a concern

expressed by members of headquarters INSCOM that field station personnel

worked under conditions that had adverse consequences on their

performance and personal well being. The intent of the study was to gain

an understanding of the factors that combine to adversely influence field

station personnel, and recommend ways to alleviate problems. The primary

factors believed to be relevant were environmental conditions (lighting,

acoustics, thermal comfort), human factors (man-machine interfaces),

furnishings, job design and shift work.

The present report presents findings and recommendations based on

interviews with station personnel, questionnaire responses from over 600

people in three job types (operator, analyst, and administrative/other)

,

extensive measurements of physical conditions, and careful observations

of a host of representative activities. Three field stations were

evaluated: Kunia, Augsburg, and Berlin. The findings confirm the

concerns expressed by headquarters INSCOM; field station personnel

perform their jobs under conditions likely to impair their effectiveness.

These include poor thermal and lighting conditions, as well as

furnishings in very poor condition, dysfunctional equipment, and general

lack of maintenance in the facilities.

Specific results from the questionnaire indicated that more than 50% of

all respondents consider their work to be very important. The data also

indicate that more than 50% of all respondents consider that their work

must be very accurate. Although a majority of respondents consider that

their jobs are at least somewhat satisfying (with analysts among the most

satisfied), about 30-35% of the operators consider that their job is not

very satisfying.

In terms of specific environmental conditions, temperature emerged as a

major problem area with the Berlin and Augsburg field stations seen as

too cold, particularly in the operational areas, while in the analytic

areas there were problems with stuffiness and poor air quality. Lighting

was another major problem area, with the majority of people at all sites

rating their ability to adjust light as very poor, with 70% of analysts

being particularly negative. Physical measurements confirmed the

presence of wide swings in temperature and air flow rates, as well as low

lighting levels for some tasks and excessive glare on computer screens.

The overall appearance of the workspaces created problems as well, with a

majority of respondents believing that the overall appearance of their

workspaces was only fair to poor. In addition, analysts, particularly

those in Kunia, felt that their work area was especially confined. In

fact, less than 20% of any group rated their area as spacious. People

found their workspaces to be unstimulating and tense, and drab rather

than colorful. Most respondents missed having a view out, and expressed

a desire to know about the weather outside or be able to take a break

outside. All respondents felt that people overhearing their

conversations was a problem, with more than 80% of the analysts in Kunia

viii
finding this statement to be very true. Similarly, the majority of the

respondents found their visual privacy to be poor to fair, with limited

amount of space for personal items.

Although some groups felt the amount of surface area for work was

especially poor, more than 70% of all analysts and operators rated

surface area as only fair. Lack of room to spread out paper tasks was

very bothersome for many analysts, with 60 to 70% of all analysts

considering their furniture condition to be fair to poor. The ability to

adjust the back of the chair was seen as a problem by most respondents,

with chair condition emerging as a major problem in operational areas due

to their non-stop use.

As many as 50-70% of those questioned reported having frequent headaches

and being sleepy sometimes or always. In fact, 30 to 40% of the

operators indicated that they were always sleepy, while another 40% were

sometimes. Eye irritation was also a problem for 40% to 60% of the

sample

.

When people were asked what changes they would make to their space, the

most desired changes at both Berlin and Augsburg was a better year round

temperature. At Kunia, the first choice of the administrators was

improved air circulation, that for the operators was access to the

outside, and that for the analysts was privacy.

At all field stations, a number of potential contributors to stress were

observed. These included environmental conditions such as overall

appearance, cold temperatures, inadequate lighting, constant noise, lack

of privacy and absence of view out or ability to go outside during the

day. Another series of stressors was provided by the furnishings which

included broken chairs; old and broken desks; lack of storage space; and

worn and tattered carpets. For each field station as a whole, problems

were seen with inadequate break areas and places to unwind, non-existent

conference rooms , and no training areas

.

Other situations that created unnecessary stress could be classified as

ergonomic. At all sites, the study team observed systems designed

despite the need to consider person/machine interaction, with poorly

placed controls and unmanageable reaches. There was a lack of input

during the design process so that potentially valuable contributions from

users were neglected. Furthermore, the equipment and systems often

demonstrated problems with functionality and reliability which proved

very frustrating to those trying to do their jobs.

In addition, there were many elements which combined to create additional

stress for the individual. These included outside demands on work time

(soldiering); shiftwork; lack of feedback about jobs well done;

frustration with equipment failures; inadequate formal training; and

heavy reliance on on-the-job training.

While many of the problems addressed above can not be solved readily, a

number of general recommendations can be made for improving conditions at

IX
the field stations. Many of these can be readily implemented, often with

little additional expense.

In the short term, one of the most critical areas is that of improving

the furniture systems, including chairs, at the various sites. Improving

them will required detailed planning for the various activities performed

by different organizational units (and likely to be performed in the near

future). This analysis should consider space limitations, likely changes

in technology, and the need for interactions among staff members. The

criteria for furniture systems should include standardization of

components, ease of adjustment, sturdiness and durability, as well as the

need to facilitate frequent mission changes and reduce the "visual

clutter" apparent now. Suggested recommendations include revising

furniture procurement regulations to meet these criteria, evaluating

long-term performance of specific systems (including chairs), and then

implementing systems throughout INSCOM.

An easily implemented area for improvement is that of the color of walls,

carpets, and furnishings. Use color on walls and furniture to liven up

the environment and provide more visual contrasts. Coordinate color

schemes for both facility and furnishings. Since painting is supposed to

be performed periodically, this can be accomplished with little or no

added expenditure of resources. Use paintings, artificial windows,

designs, and photographs to alleviate the uniformity of the walls and

provide variety and visual interest. Allow talented staff members to

paint murals on large surfaces such as the tunnel at Kunia or cafeteria

walls

.

Another area for improvement is the functioning of the heating,

ventilating, and air conditioning systems (HVAC) . Recommendations

include development and implementation of a regular maintenance program

(that is followed faithfully) for all facilities, continued

implementation of the upgrades for Berlin with installation of insulation

for the analytic areas to increase temperatures , and balancing the

systems so that there are not excessively cold and hot areas in the same

space. At Kunia, implement the planned upgrades to the entire HVAC

system. If that, combined with regular maintenance does not solve the

problems of mold, dust, and other contaminants, then do a survey of the

indoor air quality with particular attention to biological contaminants.

Easily implemented recommendations for improving the illumination

conditions at the field stations include using uniform fixtures and lamps

throughout given work areas. Do not mix light sources (such as cool

white and warm white fluorescent) within a single fixture or room.

Maintain a uniform stock of replacement lamps to ensure that future

changes in lamps do not create the same problems that now exist.

Performing regular preventive maintenance, cleaning, and relamping will

increase fixture life and decrease problems of flicker. Plan the

arrangement of systems and furniture so that light sources do not shine

in a person's eyes or on his/her screen.

Longer-term recommendations include using localized lighting controls for

x
both switching and dimming for ail major activity areas. While pull

cords are an effective means of control, more elaborate electronic

switching systems are now available that would allow both dimming and

switching from central or individual locations. Provide fully adjustable

task lighting for all positions requiring it. Provide the capability for

adding lighting for maintenance when equipment is being designed. Use

better color rendering light sources such as the "designer" fluorescent

series to improve the appearance of people, walls and furnishings.

Consider increasing the illuminance in public areas such as hallways,

break areas, and cafeterias beyond the 10-50 lux often available now.

Consider the use of wall washing or spotlighting in operational areasto illuminate maps and posters, increase the apparent size of the space

and provide visual interest. Consider the use of up- lighting in

operational areas to direct light up toward off the ceiling to add

illuminance to the space without increasing screen reflections and glare.

Finally, consider the use of light pipes at Kunia to bring daylight into

the dining room or lighted displays to simulate outdoor scenes.

Recommendations to improve the acoustic conditions at the facility

include isolating major noise sources such as printers, teletypes,

ventilators, from the work floor by moving them to a different room or

behind acoustical partitions. Replace noisy equipment, which is usually

out-of-date, with quieter, more efficient devices. Another important

area is the need to initiate a hearing conservation program to determine

whether current operator practices have resulted in substantial hearing

losses. This program should also provide additional training to

operators to use their equipment more effectively without damaging their

hearing. Finally, upgrade equipment to enable operators to selectively

filter noise, thereby improving the signal/noise ratio and improving job

performance

.

Recommendations for space improvements include the obvious need to

inventory and discard unnecessary equipment on the work floors. Consider

the use of space saver desks and work stations. Think vertically (as

long as people can still reach items stored above) rather than

horizontally and consider using integrated workstations to maximize the

limited space available. Evaluate such furniture before procurement to

determine its sturdiness, likely durability, and functionality in typical

tasks. Finally, locate operational systems carefully with respect to

lighting, HVAC , and electrical systems to reduce problems of glare,

drafts and inadequate power.

Long-term recommendations include the need to develop more automated

procedures (such as computer disks compatible with current systems in use

at the field stations) , for supplying maintenance information for systems

operation and repair.

Other recommendations include the need for early input to the design

process by the systems office and potential users Develop formal system

to collect input from the field and obtain periodic feedback about system

performance. Use operations and maintenance people from the field in

making design and operational decisions at Headquarters. Ensure that

xi
authorized representatives of field stations provide feedback to the

design and maintenance process.

Use the information center to support administrative activities as well

as operational and analytic efforts. Train appropriate administrative

personnel in the requisite computer languages and packages. Standardize

hardware and software for all users as much as possible to increase ease

of support and maintenance. Increase all users awareness of the system

capabilities. Network major systems and develop electronic mail

capabilities for administrative tasks. Ensure that each primary staff

member has a terminal.

When designing new facilities and upgrading old ones, use flexible power

and telecommunication systems to ensure maximum capability of responding

to changing mission and equipment needs. Provide capability of moving

lighting, power, heating/cooling outlets, and telecommunication systems

in each space to minimize future problems. Above all else, plan for

changing personnel and equipment needs.

Implementing the recommendations listed above will help a great deal in

improving environmental and working conditions in the field stations.

Many of the recommendations can be easily implemented with little

additional cost yet will have substantial impact by allowing the

dedicated personnel who work in these facilities to do their jobs more

effectively and with less frustration.

xii
1

.

Background

Many military and civilian employees of the U.S. Army are required to

work in environments unlike those experienced by most other workers.

Their working environments are characterized by windowless spaces, highly

automated equipment, and work tasks requiring utmost concentration.

These conditions have led to employee complaints concerning lighting, air

quality, thermal environmental conditions, lack of view to the outside,

and rotating work schedules that add stress to an already complex work

situation.

Because the working conditions described above are believed to detract

from job performance, the U.S. Army sought assistance in identifying the

problems and developing guidelines for suggesting environmental and other

changes to ameliorate the problems.

Many interdependent conditions impact the work environment of the

individual. These conditions are based on the work performed, and

environmental conditions, as well as design, technological, ergonomic,

organizational, and personal issues.

The present study examines jobs that are inherently difficult and

stressful. People are under pressure to perform because of the

importance of their work, and the constant need to meet hourly deadlines.

Adding to their stress are continual changes to jobs and equipment,

daily, weekly, or monthly changes in work schedule, requirements to

master the latest technology, and the low priority given to environmental

issues in the budgeting process. Environmental concerns are recognized

primarily as they impact equipment rather than human performance. The

result is a difficult job in a setting not conducive to optimal work

performance

.

Yet despite the fact that technology plays a key role in accomplishing

the mission needs, one major factor appears to be overlooked. Most of

the systems, both those in place and planned, are not fully automated.

Instead, systems performance is heavily reliant upon those called upon to

operate and maintain them. They are man-machine systems in every way.

Yet the overriding impression apparent after visiting and collecting data

in field stations that the people staffing such installations are

subservient to the technology. Environmental and operational systems are

designed to optimize technology, not to serve operators and other

personnel at the field stations.

1.1 Objectives of the study

1 . To determine the specific nature of the general environmental

problems existing in current U.S. Army field stations.

2. To plan and conduct a research investigation to document the kind

and scope of problems encountered in the field stations.

3. To propose means of overcoming the problems encountered.

1
1 . 2 Technical Approach

The study was performed in two phases. The first consisted of a

literature search, interviews with experts, and planning and conducting a

pilot study at two field sites. The second phase was a comprehensive

field investigation at three sites, including in-depth interviews with

personnel, a detailed questionnaire survey, and field measurements of

lighting, air quality, noise and other environmental attributes.

1 . 3 Phase 1

The primary purposes of phase 1 were to gain a better understanding of

existing environmental problems, develop, test, and refine data

collection methods, and plan for the extensive field study in phase 2.

The specific tasks completed were:

1. A literature search of relevant research.

2. Development of data collection methodologies for further field

studies

.

3. Conduct pilot studies at two field locations.

4. Evaluate findings of above and submit a detailed research plan for

phase 2

.

Following completion of the study phase, the findings were reported in

NBSIR 87-3606, entitled "Interim Survey of Selected Military Building

Environments: A Research Approach", by Rubin and Collins (1987).

1.4 Phase 2

The environmental assessment performed in phase 2 was an in-depth

evaluation of physical conditions such as lighting, noise, temperature,

humidity, and (limited) air quality, and determination of the user

responses to these conditions. An analysis of the tasks performed at the

site was also undertaken to determine the effect of environmental and

other design factors on work performance. User response data were

obtained in several ways: in-depth personal interviews with key people;

detailed environmental questionnaire of a representatives sample of site

personnel; and observations of working environments and jobs.

The phase 2 tasks were to:

1. Conduct a "full fledged" field study with physical and performance

measures at three field sites. The specific study design was

based upon the findings obtained during phase 1 and reported in

Rubin and Collins (1987)

.

2
2 . Examine in detail the types of tasks performed by employees to

determine the likely combined effects of work, environmental and

other factors on the ability to perform their assignments.

3. Recommend means of alleviating the problems identified.

1 . 5 Scope of the Current Report

The present report presents general findings and conclusions about the

environmental conditions at three Army field stations. It also presents

a series of recommendations for alleviating the problems identified at

the time of the visits to each field station. A companion report,

"Analysis of Environmental Data from Three U.S. Army Field Stations," by

Collins and Rubin presents detailed results from the questionnaire and

the physical measurements. It also contains the questionnaire and

physical measurement forms. This latter report serves as backup material

to the present report.

3
2 . Experimental Procedures

Three field stations were examined in detail: Kunia, Hawaii; Berlin,

Germany; and Augsburg, Germany. The activities performed and the general

environmental settings at these locations are considered to be

representative of similar installations throughout the world. The three

stations visited were all windowless facilities, with Kunia being

underground. For convenience, the major tasks performed have been

categorized into three major groups; operations (the collection of

information), analysis, and administration (which also includes clerical,

maintenance, and other.

2.1 Questionnaire Survey

Detailed environmental questionnaires were distributed to a sample of the

people at all sites. The individuals sampled were selected on the basis

of the activities performed and their location. (A copy of the

questionnaire and a detailed discussion of the findings is given in the

companion report. Selected graphs of results from the questionnaire are

given in the present report as support for specific findings and

recommendations .

)

A breakdown of the questionnaire sample by location is as follows:

Operators Analysts Administrators

Total

Kunia 154 77 42 273

Augsburg 124 52 41 217

Berlin 69 32 30 131

Total 347 161 113 621

2.2 Physical Measurements

Concurrent with the questionnaire survey, measurements of several

physical environmental characteristics were made. These included

lighting measures (luminance and illuminance), noise, temperature,

humidity, air flow and physical dimensions of workstations. Other

assessments included color, sound intrusiveness, chair and panel design

and quality, furnishings and wall type, carpets and personalization of

space. (The form used in collecting these data is included in Appendix B,

with a detailed discussion of the findings in the companion report.)

Physical measurements were taken at a total of 279 workstations. The

breakdown of measures were as follows: 62 at Berlin, 79 at Augsburg and

138 at Kunia. The primary focus of these measures was on the lighting

conditions at the workstation with a major variable being the presence or

absence of VDT's. Of the 279 workstations, there were 171 workstations

with VDT's, and 108 without them.

4
Not all measures were taken at every location because of the similarity

of findings within a room. Most of the operators and analysts were

located in large open-plan areas so that noise levels at one workstation

were the same as those at the next. Generally, the levels throughout the

facility were quite uniform. For the most part, they did not vary more

than four or five dBA from place to place, except in the presence of

major noise sources such as high speed printers. Consequently, sampling

a limited number of locations was sufficient to indicate its likely

environmental impact, with questionnaire data supplying subjective

information. In addition, the overall ambient levels on the working

floor (typically about 60-65 dBA) were well below those that could cause

any hearing damage to personnel. Even in the vicinity of major noise

sources such as printers or generators, the levels usually did not

present any major health problem. However, in several instances, noises

were sufficiently loud and intrusive (between 80-85 dBA when a printer

was operational) to create a major annoyance.

Temperature and humidity levels likewise were relatively uniform within

major areas of the facilities, although they did vary from area to area

and from time to time. Consequently, a limited number of readings were

sufficient to indicate the general working conditions. (Detailed

findings of all environmental conditions appear in the companion report)

.

The one environmental topic dealt with in considerable detail was

lighting. It had been identified as a major problem area which

"triggered" the initial investigation of the field stations.

Furthermore, the variability of lighting at all sites elicited many

unfavorable comments by people performing a variety of tasks in different

locations. The analysis revealed considerable variation in overall light

levels, light source position, and task contrast (particularly for

VDT ' s )

.

2.2.1. Temperature and Humidity Measurements

Measurements of temperature, humidity, and air speed were made using a

Solomat^ multi-channel modumeter (2016) . The device automatically cycles

from temperature to airspeed to humidity and back to temperature. A

platinum thermohygrometer was used to measure temperature and humidity

while a hot wire anemometer was used to measure air speed.

Using a stand constructed for the probes of the Solomat, measures were

taken at individual workstations by placing the system at typical working

positions. The readings recorded were those of the third cycle, to

permit the measurements to stabilize. The equipment was calibrated prior

to the field visits. (Air speed readings were very variable, depending

on location and therefore are not covered in any detail in the report.)

1 Brand names are provided for identification purposes only

and do not constitute endorsement by the National Bureau of

Standards or the U.S. Army.

5
2.2.2 Acoustic Measurements

Acoustic measurements were made with a Quest^ model 155 precision handheld sound level meter and a standard 1/2 inch condenser microphone with

an OB- 145 octave band filter attached. The equipment was calibrated

before use at each field station. Ambient sound levels were made on the

dBA scale, slow reading (1000 msec time constant). Octave band analyses

were made after the ambient measures. Fast responses (125 msec time

constant) were taken when the noise sources were variable, primarily when

measuring headset output.

Acoustic measurements were made at workstations and in the vicinity of

major noise sources, such as high speed printers, teletypewriters (TTY),

fans, and blowers.

2.2.3 Illumination Measurements

A hand-held Minolta^ photometer with a cosine-corrected diffuser and a

photopic response filter was used to measure illuminance (the amount of

light falling on the work surface) . Illuminance was measured at the

primary task location - the position where the person normally worked

with the chair occupied. Measurements were made at the center of the

working area, where a standard target was positioned. When a VDT station

was present, illuminance was also measured at the screen and keyboard,

with the room lights and monitor in their customary setting. In several

cases, additional measures were taken with the room lights altered from

their normal setting (either to on or off.)

A portable Minolta^ luminance meter with a one degree viewing angle was

used to measure luminance (the light reflected from a surface) . Measures

were taken for a standard target containing white, gray, and black

surfaces, the ceiling between luminaires, and for the brightest and

darkest surfaces in the field of view. Where a VDT was present,

luminance measures were taken at the center, left, right, top, and bottom

of the screen as well as of two individual characters. While the viewing

angle of the luminance meter covered the entire character, it also

covered a small amount of surrounding screen area, so that the

measurement includes character and background. Nonetheless, this

procedure appears appropriate for making relative brightness comparisons

of screen characters for different types of equipment and light sources.

Other lighting related data were the type of overhead luminaire and its

position relative to the workstation as well as any switching controls

available. The presence, type, illuminance , and luminance of any task

lighting were also recorded. Finally, observations were made concerning

the presence or absence of visible reflections on the VDT screen.

2 . 3 Observations

A similar procedure for obtaining information was followed at each field

station. The visit began with a general briefing on the major activities

performed at the field station, followed by a walk-through of the entire

6
facility. During this phase, there was an opportunity to observe the

overall environment, the organization of working groups, and conditions

at individual workstations. Operators, analysts, administrative staff,

and maintenance personnel also provided a detailed briefing of the

various activities they typically performed during a day and noted

significant problems that they encountered. This activity identified the

tasks to be analyzed in depth, as well as the key individuals to be

interviewed.

These initial observations enabled us to examine such factors as the

overall lighting scheme, general environmental conditions such as

temperature, the organization of spaces, workstation layout, and the

general appearance of floor areas, furnishings, ceilings, and walls. It

also served as an "early warning system" of problems requiring

examination during later study phases.

2.4 Interviews

Personal interviews were conducted to provide "in depth" information

concerning specific major issues and provide the chance for people to

make general comments about their work situation in an unstructured way.

The topics discussed ranged from the organization of a particular task,

environmental issues, planning and implementation of new technologies, to

stressors in the workplace. - Sometimes, interviews were conducted "one on

one" while in other instances, a group of people were brought together to

discuss common concerns.

The information collected during the interviews provided tangible

examples of many of the general concerns expressed in the questionnaire

surveys. They present a subjective dimension to the more objective data

which are summarized in tabular and graphic form in the companion report.

More importantly, they provide insights concerning the depth of feeling

concerning given issues. The interviews are given in Appendix C of the

present report.

In gaining an understanding of ergonomic (man-machine) problems, the best

data collection method was often a combination of observation,

demonstration, and interview. For example, some task sequences could

only be understood by having operators perform them while explaining what

they were doing, and responding to questions simultaneously. In this

way, the physical, mental, and environmental constraints and demands came

into focus

.

The findings will be discussed from two viewpoints; issues that seemed to

be common ones, and those that were largely confined to a single

location. For the most part the results indicate that the major problems

encountered are generic and occur at all field stations rather than being

site specific. Differences are usually in the form of how the problems

are manifested due to particular site, organizational, and technological

factors

.

7
3. The Buildings

In the following sections, the italicized comments at the end which were

given by field station personnel during the interviews and in the

questionnaires are used to provide a sense of the kind and magnitude of

the environmental and task-related problems encountered at the different

sites. In some cases people also provided possible solutions for

problems that frequently bothered them. The comments are given in

italics, with the name of the field station at which they were taken

preceding them.

Figures and tables are drawn from the questionnaires and the physical

measurements and again provide an indication of areas where personnel

perceived problems.

3.1 Building Systems

3.1.1 Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC)

The field stations are organized, conditioned, and maintained primarily

to ensure that equipment needs are met; people must accommodate to these

conditions as best they can. The lack of standardization gives many

spaces a makeshift appearance. For example, fixtures and lamp types

often differ in a single space as well as between areas.

At some sites, because the heating, air conditioning, ventilation, and

electrical power systems were modified from their original design uses,

environmental problems are common. At one site, the HVAC system was not

designed to handle the large number of people and sophisticated

electronic systems that have been added. It does not "condition" the

air; it merely circulates "fresh air" throughout the site. As a result,

unacceptable levels of humidity build up causing mold and mildew

problems. In other cases, the HVAC equipment is not sized properly for

the thermal loads. The result is that work stoppages frequently occur

when the temperature exceeds a level required for the equipment to

operate, or personnel freeze because the cooling demands are exceeded.

In some areas, large fans must operate continually to accommodate air

circulation requirements. These fans contribute considerably to the

overall noise levels when they operate.

Uniform temperature and air movement conditions in all buildings are

difficult to achieve. As a result, temperatures in many spaces vary from

being too hot to. too cold, while stagnant air was mentioned by a number

of the people interviewed. These latter problems were more severe in the

office areas, where some administrative functions are separated by space

dividers and housed in private offices. The appropriate balancing of

heating and air flow systems was said to be an ever-present issue.

Although the buildings are not insulated; and there do not appear to be

any plans for installing insulation. (Some has recently been installed

8
at Berlin, however, which may mitigate some of the temperature problems

there.) The use of supplementary heaters is permitted in Berlin and

Augsburg, but its application is piecemeal.

Figure 1 provides data on the reaction to temperatures at the three field

stations. In this figure, as in all subsequent figures, three separate

graphs are given. The upper left graph presents data for the

administrative and clerical personnel at all three sites, the upper right

graph presents data for analytical personnel, and the bottom graph

presents data for operational personnel. Within each figure, the

response for Berlin are given first, followed by those for Augsburg, and

then those for Kunia. The abscissa gives the rating scale, while the

ordinate gives the percentage of people responding within each

classification. Figure 1 demonstrates that people believed that

temperatures at Berlin and Augsburg were often uncomfortably cold,

particularly in the operational areas were more than 65% of those

questioned indicated that the heating was quite poor.

Comments from the Occupants

Berlin : Occupant comfort is a big problem on the third floor. There is a dire

need to isolate the operator from freezing temperatures . One system with

a directed air flow had overheating problems . They ended up putting

holes in the equipment to keep it from failing. Operators end up wearing

field jackets, gloves, and sweaters , because it is so cold. Many

stresses exist due to both equipment and environmental problems

.

Aussburs : The temperature ranges from uncomfortably cool to down right frigid. It

is usually so cold year round that field jacket or gloves are comfortable

attire; these inhibit work. We must wear winter clothes all year. It's

too cold in our work area.

Kunia : One problem is that the air handlers move air, while cooling; it gets

very cold in midshifts . When it's cold upstairs , it's very cold down

here. As you can see, I'm wearing a sweater.

9
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3.1.2 Lighting

A major source of complaints, reinforced by the collection of physical

data and observations, concerned lighting. Several types of problems are

apparent, ranging from appearance to functionality.

The lighting systems in many areas are characterized by lack of

uniformity and failure to perform regular maintenance. When walking

through any field station one can observe a variety of fixtures, lamp

colors, diffusers, etc. Warm white, cool white and even daylight

fluorescent lamps are frequently mixed within the same fixture and/or

room. Many luminaires are dirty and have one or more flickering lamps.

The overall appearance contributes to environments that are unsightly and

depressing (to staff members as well as visitors) . Overall illuminance

levels are very low - typically well below the 50 fc (500 lux)

recommended by the IES for office spaces but within the guidelines for

spaces with VDT's (IESNA, 1987).

Illuminances

With VDT Without VDT Mean

Berlin 234 lux 370 lux 282

Augsburg 140 lux 235 lux i61

Kunia 158 lux 382 lux 368

The inadequacy of maintenance seriously diminishes light output and

results in many situations where the available light is inadequate for

the work being performed. The flickering is also a major cause of

complaint by those ne.arby, and may contribute to malfunctioning of

equipment due to electronic noise.

Controlling light output is frequently an ad hoc operation, ranging from

placing paper or cardboard over lamps to serve as makeshift diffusers , to

the removal of lamps by working personnel. These options are used

primarily by those in operations who spend 8 hours a day at their VDT

screens. Analysis of task contrast indicated that contrast on the VDT

screens was higher in the operational levels where the overhead lighting

had been dimmed. This reconfirmed measurements taken during the pilot

study at Kunia where operators had insisted that they see "better" with

the lights dimmed. There, measurements with the lights on revealed a

marked decrease in screen contrasts, relative to the situation with the

lights off. (At the same time, however, reading paper copy becomes more

difficult as does writing. At one site, for example, operators were

required to write on brown envelopes with pencil - a very low contrast

task made even more difficult by the low lighting.)

11
VDT Screen Contrasts

Berlin Augsburg Kunia

Operations

Keyboard ilium 167 71 71

Screen Contrast 0.90 0.83 0.90

Analysis

Keyboard ilium 104 124 243

Screen Contrast 0.91 0.72 0.80

Admin

Keyboard ilium 671 128 394

Screen Contrast 0.62 0.74 0.80

Localized lighting control is not available for most people, with the

exception of the few with task lighting. A dimming option is never

available, while switching usually consists of turning on/off all the

luminaires in a room. One of the most significant answers on the

questionnaire was in response to a question about the ability to adjust

the light on the task. As Figure 2 demonstrates, more than 70% of those

questioned at all sites felt that their ability to adjust light was very

poor.

Comments from the Occupants

Augsburg : Need to be able to see what we're doing without straining eyes. Lighting

is the pits. It's like working in a cave. Lighting is bright in some

areas ; dim in others/strains eyes. Too much glare on screens and scopes

gives me headaches and hurts my eyes.

Lighting is too low for reading. I should be able to adjust my own

lighting area. Overhead fluorescent lights cause glare, they are always

flickering and give headaches

.

Berlin : Desk lamp would be a nice touch. Decide either blue, green, dark, or

bright

.

Kunia : • Being under fluorescent lights all day with brick walls is annoying.

Even after three years, without expecting it to be annoying. People

complain about the lights; many of them are out. There are frequent

complaints of headaches. When the light here is turned on, the glare

comes directly on the screen. The alternative is that a light comes

directly on your eyes.

12
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3.1.3 Acoustics

Many of the key activities performed at the workstations are extremely

noise sensitive. They are based upon aural communications of various

types, with the information to be understood often embedded in electronic

noise. The presence of major environmental noise sources makes the

required task much more difficult because the signal- to-noise ratio is

significantly degraded. Under these circumstances, there are three

likely outcomes:

1. It takes longer to perform the tasks.

2. There are likely to be more operator errors.

3. Performing work under these conditions is very difficult and

demanding for the worker.

The noise problem is intensified by the 'hard' surfaces of the walls and

the general lack of soft surfaces anywhere that might absorb some of the

sound. The equipment, walls, and floors all serve to reflect sound,

resulting in a workspace that in many ways serves as a reverberation

room. As a result, overall sound levels approach those produced by the

major noise sources within the space. Instead of minimizing the

detrimental effects of noise, the local environment maximizes it. In

addition, in the operational areas additional air handlers have often

been added to cool the equipment. These often generate a noticeable hum

which adds to the overall distraction. At one site, the noise from this

equipment was sufficiently annoying in one area that it was not used for

office space, but rather reserved as a break area. (How relaxing this

was for personnel is unclear.)

The analytical and administrative areas are typically open plan offices

with many people sharing a common space. In these areas, conversations

and ringing telephones are major irritants, as well as the occasional

loud printer. (Some printers were measured at 80-85 dBA while

operational .

)

Figure 3 presents data on the feelings about noise and annoying sounds

within the field stations. The problems are greatest for the analysts as

seen by the number that rate it as very (1) or somewhat (2) noisy.

Another problem is that the noise producing equipment does not have any

acoustical treatment such as equipment covers which could significantly

reduce the sound locally, as well as have some effect on noise levels in

the general environment.

14
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Environmental noise at the field stations is created by operational

equipment, building equipment, and by people. For the most part, it is a

disruptive influence (making work difficult) as opposed to being a health

hazard. Antiquated equipment, particularly TTY's and printers, are the

most prominent sources of complaint, primarily due to their proximity to

many workstations which do not use them during the course of the day.

Partitions are of limited help in isolating the noise sources, because

the noise penetrates them.

Comments from the Occupants

Augsburg : Too much noise; it's quite distracting to me. Noise level of everything

put together (vents/people , printers) is too high.

Kunia : Too many beeps, buzzers, phones and printers . Noise levels are very high

because of the amount of equipment and people crammed into a small space.

3.1.4 Air Quality

Air quality was a problem in a number of areas within the field stations,

but particularly at Kunia. Many complaints focused on the lack of

ventilation and stuffiness. Most of the problems there are attributed to

lack of maintenance. With respect to cleaning procedures, the air

conditioning system is supposed to have monthly, quarterly, and yearly

inspection; monthly, they should clean the filter, oil the system, and

generally check the operation; quarterly, they should clean the unit and

check the bearings; annually, they should do a total cleanup of ducts, AC

unit, everything. In fact, the Kunia field station is years behind on

all maintenance. The result is that mold, mildew, and dust are common

occurrences on walls and surfaces, particularly in non-operational areas

(which do not have the supplemental air conditioners for the equipment)

.

At the same time, some analytical areas were very confined and stuffy due

to poor air circulation and large numbers of people in a relatively small

space

.

Figure 4 presents information on the bothersomeness of stuffiness at the

three sites. Analysts, particularly those at Kunia, rated stuffiness as

very bothersome.

Comments from the Occupants

Augsburg : Clean healthy air never hurt anyone .

Berlin : Any air circulation would be an improvement .

Kunia : The air is stale/tunnel smells bad. Air smells stale, mildewed

air is stale and stuffy; fresh air is non-existent

.

16
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3 . 2 Break Areas

The break areas at the stations are important places for personnel

because they are the places available to escape from the stresses

associated with the job. Possibly for this reason, these areas were the

subject of many comments and suggestions for improvements. The number

and kind of break area varied from field station to field station. Two

of the official break areas at Berlin and Augsburg have windows, vending'

machines, chairs, and tables, so that some escape from the job routine is

possible. Yet, these areas are about a 2-5 minute walk from the

operational areas, making them less accessible than might be desired. In

Berlin, a break area is located off the operational floor near the

latrines - which have a tendency to smell bad, particularly after the

weekend. This area also had chairs rejected from the operational floor,

very low light levels, and overall lack of attention to comfort.

Still another problem with the break areas is the need to provide

separate smoking areas. At all field stations, this has been done for

smokers, although they may leave something to be desired in ambience.

For example, at Kunia the smoking areas are in converted latrinesseveral of which still have the plumbing visible. No separate air

handling is provided for these small areas so that the smoke buildup is

tremendous. Nevertheless, non-smokers resent the fact that no separate

break area is provided for them.

Comments from the Occupants

Augsburg : When work becomes overbearing

,

I need an area for breaks to help relax . The only break area is a snack bar with no smoking allowed. It is too

small and often is standing room only.

We need a break area closer to work, with couch and more comfortable

furniture. A room with nautilus equipment and some recreational items

such as TV, game machines , pool and ping pong tables.

Berlin : Furniture in the break area is extremely old and not comfortable . Break

area looks like a disaster area.

Kunia : Break area to relieve stress, with a couch and reading room.

Need more break areas for non-smokers as well.

It should have soda and snack machines and something on the wall other

than concrete and tiles to carry on a conversation because you can't talk

in the current smoking areas. It needs something more pleasing to the

eye such as murals, paintings or graphics on the bulkheads

,

subdued lighting , one or two plants, and magazines definitely

.

18
3 . 3 Maintenance

With limited exception, the field station walls and corridors appeared to

these observers to be drab and painted uniformly in standard issue pastel

or dark colors. Adding to the general drabness of the appearance is that

cleaning and maintenance of the walls and other surfaces was often

neglected. These were often unkempt and dirty. Interview and survey

data revealed many unfavorable comments about the overall quality of the

environment, particularly as related to maintenance.

The area supervisor needs to care about the work environment. Many

people appear to be oblivious to the environmental problems within their

workspace. Changes occur only as a result of complaints, even though the

facility engineers are supposed to maintain the space on a routine basis.

People often make changes on their own, including painting walls, rearranging furniture, adding non-regulation carpet, removing/adding light

sources, stringing cable for equipment, etc. While their intentions are

good, their execution sometimes is faulty, occasionally resulting in

tripping, electrical, and other safety hazards.

The lack of preventive and regular maintenance at the field stations,

particularly Kunia and Augsburg, was a major source of concern. At

Kunia, for example, the lack of appropriate air conditioning maintenance

was said to be the cause of many of their air quality problems, with mold

and mildew being present in many locations. The rule of thumb appears to

be to repair systems only when broken and not to do preventative

maintenance to avoid costly and time-consuming repairs.

For example, the replacement of lamps for the lighting fixtures is

supposed to occur on a regularly scheduled basis, but this does not

happen in this manner. When lamps are burned out, their replacement is

supposed to be routine, following the notification of appropriate

personnel. Yet, considerable time usually elapses between the

notification of maintenance personnel and replacement of the lamp. This

can result in shortened ballast life.

Yet another problem is that because of security considerations, troops on

the operational and analytical areas are expected to do the routine

vacuuming and cleaning. If a crisis intervenes, this routine cleaning is

not done because more important things must be done. At the same time,

overall light levels are low so that dirt spots are often not seenuntil time comes for a tour and the lights are turned up.

Even painting the facility is subject to some of these problems.

Clearing areas so that uncleared personnel can come in and paint is very

difficult and impacts the mission adversely. The regular personnel,

however, do not have time to paint. In addition, the ventilation is poor

enough, particularly at Kunia, that adding paint fumes into a space where

people are working is not a good idea.

19
Where painting has been done, it usually has been in accordance with

regulation; i.e. nondescript pastel colors. The lack of windows also

contributes to the impression of sterility in the general environment.

This is typically uniform for the general work areas, with one memorable

exception. In one of the buildings, murals had been painted on two of

the walls in general view of the operators. In instances such as this,

where people are permitted to liven up their spaces by adding some highly

saturated colors, the response is very favorable.

Figure 5 presents data on feelings about the colorfulness of the general

appearance of the field stations. Almost none of those questioned felt

that their facilities were colorful. Again, the analysts were the most

negative about the colorfulness of their areas.

Comments from the Occupants

Augsburg: : All environmental changes for walls, lights, electrical outlets are made

by the staff. Doing it by the book, filling out forms is a waste of time

and months pass without anything being done. There are only three people

on the maintenance staff so it is humanly impossible to fix what goes

wrong. If you're going to have any change, you have to do it yourself

.

You bring in the stuff from home, pay for it yourself . I have to borrow

drills, screwdrivers , etc to fix up the area.

It is discouraging to be in place that's dirty even after it's cleaned.

Building needs new carpeting , paint job looks like original stuff. The

carpet in the passageways looks bad along with the walls.

The latch breaks when you try to change the bulbs. You can't get bulbs

in and out easily to change them. In the section that's supposed to do

it, a work order takes months. He has been there 3-1/2 years and has

never seen them come in to do anything, even check them. They're

flickering like crazy. He could get stuff if he had the right

connections and work order .

Colors in this office are atrocious ; we need a more subtle, color

coordinated scheme. Everything is either drab gray or obscenely bright

orange. I like dirty white as much as the next guy but. . . They just

painted the walls, but battleship gray isn't the best color.

Berlin : This place is filthy. Cleaning of non operational areas is poor. Add

cheerful colors, carpet/less stark impersonal, furniture and lockers are

morbid. Varying shades of brown are depressing

.

20
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Kunia : Walls are drab, stained, ugly and depressing . It is just terrible to ask

people to work under conditions like this. The general appearance is so

awful, but there is nothing that we can do about it. The whole area is

dirty. No amount of cleaning will change that. It's just depressing to

walk in here and look at the place and know you have to stay there for 8

hours. Whatever is done to the interior space, you're still faced with

the drab and dreary tunnel . The tunnel should have murals or

photographs ; perhaps historical information. There are military artists

in each of the services. They could each do something about their

services , ships, tanks, whatever they wanted, semper fi. Perhaps they

could have a contest to fix up the tunnel. It is very depressing in the

tunnel; a long walk, and an ugly one.

21
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4. Organization of Space

With frequent expansion of missions and the introduction of new

technologies as they become available, space requirements undergo

frequent changes. Yet formal space planning appears to occur only during

facility expansion (a rare occurrence) or when new operational systems

are put into place. As a result, many work areas are crowded with

equipment and people. The cramped conditions are especially apparent in

the analytic areas, perhaps because these areas are not subject to

electronic upgrades in operational equipment and are not as visible as

the administrative areas. None of the analytic areas at any of the sites

had gone to raised flooring, systems furniture, or equipment upgrades

that might have forced better organization of space and personnel.

4.1 Operations

At all three field stations, the operational areas were characterized by

very large floor areas full of different types of electronic equipment.

Each person typically uses at least one VDT monitor, if not more. The

Berlin operational area had recently been upgraded with some new

equipment, which had also resulted in extensive environmental changes to

this floor. For example, new lighting had recently been installed with a

lower acoustic ceiling, insulation had been added to the ceiling and

walls, and the whole area had been painted and reconfigured. Much of the

equipment came in vivid colors which also added interest to the floor.

The other two sites had not undergone similar upgrades and appeared much

more crowded and dingy.

4.2 Analysis

At all three sites, the analytical areas were the most crowded with very

little space to spare. They were characterized by paper clutter, lack of

storage space, dingy, rumpled, or torn carpets, relatively low light

levels, annoying noises, stuffy air quality, and cold temperatures in

Berlin but high temperatures at Kunia. These areas perhaps are most

similar to conventional open plan offices, in which many people are

located in one space. The nature of the job requires concentration; yet,

the work area often makes this very difficult.

4.3 Administrative/Clerical

The quality of the administrative space varied dramatically from site to

site. The spaces were very crowded at Augsburg with conditions made even

less pleasant by the combination of very low light levels and dark blue

or green wall colors (often in the same space) . While spaces were

crowded at Berlin, not all spaces were as badly crowded as those at

Augsburg. In addition, wall colors were typically white or cream and

illuminances were higher so that the spaces did not appear as dingy and

cramped. Kunia had some of the least crowded spaces with the highest

light levels.

23
Figure 6 presents data on the overall satisfaction with space for

different groups at the three field stations. This figure suggests that

the administrators, particularly those at Kunia are the most satisfied

with their space, while the analysts, particularly those at Berlin are

the least satisfied.

Comments from the Occupants

Augsburg : The space is not apportioned properly . The rule of thumb is that if you

can acquire space you do it , in a sort of " lebensraum" type maneuver.

The speaker has one 4-drawer safe so he has to use the computer for

storing information but that's not up 100% by any means. There are six

piles of material on his desk that he'd like to get rid of. Do analysts

like clutter (as has been alleged by other non- analysts?) He says no,

but they don't have enough storage area for things they need. When you

are doing shiftwork , you need to leave a clear trail for the analyst who

comes after you.

The analytic work is also performed in an open setting, with the workers

afforded no privacy or separation from one another . This type of

activity , which requires considerable thought and concentration , in other

settings usually merits separation from potential sources of

interference

.

4.4 Space

With missions expanding and new equipment being installed continuously,

the need for additional space was a common issue. The fact that planned

expansions to the space have been delayed, particularly at Kunia, has

intensified the concern. The fact that analytic and administrative

areas, where space requirements seem to be greatest, are furnished with

old traditional desks and file cabinets has exacerbated many problems.

These furnishings are not appropriate for many of the VDT based tasks now

prevalent, and can waste considerable space. Another factor that adds to

the crowding problem is the presence of obsolete and often non

functioning equipment.

As for space in the analytical area, people are back-to-back with no

spare room. Space is a critical issue with more and more people being

crowded into less and less space. SpaceSaver desks might be useful as

might some type of systems furniture. There is a real need to think

vertically rather than horizontally. Using workstations might well be a

better way of using space. They need typewriters, desks, and diskpacks

to be immediately accessible, but some, less frequently used material

could be stored over the desk.

24
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Comments from the Occupants

Aussburs : Things are stacked up, hard to find. Nice shelves would be more

congenial. The areas being so closed in gives feeling of imprisonment.

Increase storage area for working aids, etc.

Kunia : More surface space to work.

26
5. Furnishings

The current environments in many of the workspaces at the three sites

give the impression of cumulative ad hoc decisions over many years. The

lack of file storage and working desktop areas was a major source of

complaints at all field stations, especially in the analytic areas. Much

of the furnishings are antiquated government issue materials, unsuitable

for many of the electronic based tasks that are so prevalent in these

environments. Since space is often at a premium at field stations, its

proper organization becomes extremely important.

Systems furnishings could be installed for more effective use of space

that is actually available but is currently cluttered with large,

nonfunctional, traditional desks. Storage is practically non-existent

with paper reference material in boxes because there are no file cabinets

and printers occupying space on top of the few file cabinets.

In too many instances, furnishings, especially chairs, are old, in

disrepair, and not suitable to the jobs performed. Inadequate chairs are

often unsafe, make the job more difficult, and add to the unsightly

appearance of many areas within the field stations.

The chair problem reported at Kunia (Rubin and Collins, 1987) exists

elsewhere, as well. As one person put it during an interview,

There is always a battle of who got my chair at shift change.

It's a dynamic struggle. The chairs break easily, and the

backs come off so that the operators are sitting on a stool

with a stub sticking up that jabs them in the back. The last

man in gets that chair until it's shuffled off. Are they

adjustable? They're supposed to be, but not all work. Parts

are frozen, gears are stripped so you can't change the height.

There is a need for a high quality chair which is durable and

can be adjusted.

Figure 7 presents data on the perception of the overall furniture

condition, which indicates that administrators at Kunia are the most

positive, while analysts at Berlin are most negative about the overall

condition of their furniture. Figure 8 presents data on the perception

of the ability (or lack of ability) to adjust the back of the chairs.

This figure indicates that most of those questioned feel that the ease of

adjusting the chair is poor.

27
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Augsburg

:

Our desks are WWII vintage and the drawers don't work. I have to kick

the drawer to get it to open. You can't get a computer table to save

your life. They have changed the battalion , shifts, space but things

still don't work right. The speaker has two computer tables that took 6

months to get. The furniture is given and you can't get new furniture

easily. The impact on the job is serious. There is not enough safe

space so they will put files in boxes, which slows you down because you

then can't find it. Everything is time sensitive reporting . You can't

meet deadlines anymore with people on details and unable to find working

aids and computer down time. It all makes things slower than they should

be

.

Old gray government desks should be replaced with work stations . More

table space is needed to lay out things/more storage space required for

working aids. Metal furnishings are as depressing as they are beat up.

New chairs are needed to relieve neck and back strain, tension. Current

racks are not very comfortable ; the bookshelf is too high to reach.

Berlin : The chair is very uncomfortable and needs padding, contours so one can

sit properly . More shelves are needed; get rid of big, good for nothing

19th century desks.

Kunia : Get a chair that is adjustable , with arm rest and back supports. On some

chairs you can adjust the back, but it's like lying backwards. The back

is not firm enough. The chairs need to be height adjustable . Some

people are 6-7 ft tall while others are shorter. Some want their feet to

just touch the floor while others want their feet firmly on the ground,

still others are in the middle .

5ol Carpets

Although carpeting is present in many areas of the field stations, it

often is not properly maintained. Another major problem is the lack of

uniformity. Often, several different types and colors of carpeting

appear in the same area. Typically, the seams are held together with

duct tape or left unbound. Such carpeting has often been obtained by

individuals on their own initiative to cut down noise and improve their

office's appearance. Unfortunately, there is little overall control of

quality or concern for appearance. Maintenance is a sometime thing and

is often inadequate. In some areas, carpet tiles are being used, with

mixed results. While they can be removed when worn or stained, this does

not always happen. Replacement tiles often do not match the original

color exactly, giving an overall checkerboard appearance.

30
Comments from the Occupants

Augsburg:

The carpeting is dirty and patched in many areas, providing tripping

hazards and an unsightly appearance . The analytic area is unsightly

,

crowded, has old carpets, is noisy and generally depressing

.

Carpet tiles are easier to maintain and replace than carpets, e.g.

spillage of coffee - replace tile, cannot replace entire carpet, results

in unsightly mess. There are problems with carpet tiles; fibers can get

into equipment. Quality is important, specifications guided by traffic;

cleaning is another problem, dirt is swept and gets into equipment

,

vacuum is seldom used. The sub floor must be kept clean; a good deal of

dirt ends up there. The new area of 2000 sq ft, with carpet tile is

holding up well after several months of use.

31
6. Workstation Design - Physical Features of Operations

The size and configuration of the individual workstations in the

operational areas are dictated by the equipment used by operators for

monitoring and other required activities. The workstations are abutted

against one another, with minimal room for anything but the materials

being worked upon at the moment. No personal items were evident,

intensifying the factory- like appearance of the setting.

Figure 9 presents data on people's ability to personalize their space at

the three field stations. This figure indicates that the operators at

all 3 sites feel that they have little wall or desk space for personal

items

.

All activities other than administrative and some supervisory functions

were conducted in open space areas, without panels or other dividers

between operators. The conditions appeared to be quite crowded,

particularly at Augsburg and to a lesser extent at Kunia. As noted

earlier, the Berlin operational area was in the process of being

renovated, so that some of the problems related to space had been solved.

Comments from the Occupants

Kunia : Let operations personalize space with posters, etc.

6 . 1 Equipment

The equipment used to obtain aural information provides the opportunity

for the operator to fine-tune, but if the optimal signal is embedded in

noise, the procedure is to listen to it repeatedly until the maximum

information is extracted. This is an extremely time-consuming procedure,

and a frustrating one in that progress is very slow. Throughout the

study, numerous negative comments were made about the functioning of

equipment, indicating that it is a major source of concern to the people

who believe that it keeps them from doing a good job.

Comments from the Occupants

Aussburs : Get better equipment or equipment that works more than 50% of the time.

Replace everything with more modernized equipment. Bring in the new

equipment you have been promising for the last 5 years. Get a new

computer system and start from scratch. Get a system other than monopole

that won't crash every 10 minutes. Get new equipment or fix old

equipment . Find a better computer system/replace ancient terminals with

up-to-date equipment

.

Keyboards are too high. I get cramps in my shoulders from awkward

position

.

32
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equipment. Get something that works. Make it more reliable. Get a

computer that works for more than 5 minutes per day.

6.2 Systems

The current systems are complex, difficult to operate and maintain, and

require engineers to keep them on line. Equipment adjustments must be

made continually. Also, interviews with operations people revealed that

equipment reliability is quite low. The operator survey conducted as

part of this study reinforces this view; a large proportion of operators

indicated that down-time of equipment is very high and that they need

better equipment to work effectively. Many difficulties can be

attributed to the way in which equipment specifications are now written,

by engineers working in an 'ivory tower', with no feedback from those

using the system.

Comments from the Occupants

Augsburg:

We have a computer room which is projected to support basically the same

organization with 15 different computer systems. They are intended to

talk together eventually . Right now 1-2 talk to each other. There is a

great deal of need for communication . An operator may need information

from system Y but system X won't talk to Y so he must find a terminal

which supports Y. But there are only five in the station so he must

leave the operations area and find it (and someone who knows how to use

it) .

If an analyst wants to get last year's data, he must run downstairs and

get a tape loaded (and find someone to help him) . If he wants to find a

valid data base, it will be a five minute walk to find the system.

For example, an analyst upstairs writing a report has collected the

needed information and is now putting together a final report. He has

many working aids ranging from hard copy to the computer system. He

decides something is on system Q and P which are connected back to

headquarters . To access the local and headquarters databases , the next

nearest terminal is on the first or third floor, at least a five minute

walk. Because it's such a hassle to find a spare terminal it often isn't

done; and the quality of the final report suffers. But when an analyst

wants to look at historical data, most of it is on tape. To log on, he

must talk to a programmer to load a special tape if the data are older

than about 45 days. It could take 1-1/2 hours with luck. But the

computer specialist is often working on a report to go out . He can't

waste 1-1/2 hours looking for a tape. This destroys concentration (with

start up and wind down time) raising the frustration level.

3 4
People must learn so many different automation procedures just to get on

the systems; passwords , operational systems, logons, etc. It is

impossible to master all systems. Most master just the main one. It

takes an analyst 3 -

4

months to work the simplest system or 1-2 months to

be functional as long as someone is by them. Most people come in with a

3 year tour. After 2 months they are functional on the job on the floor;

4-5 months later they have mastered the basics. About that time they

have heard about other systems, and say "I want to see if these others

are what I've heard about, and will help me do my job". This individual

will start going to other people asking what can be learned from systems

P,Q,Y, etc. After about one year, they've experienced so much

frustration they just quit looking. The best and most motivated people

get very frustrated . They do only what has to be done. They quit doing

anything extra or innovative - just fill out the forms and quit thinking

.

An individual gets tired of climbing mountains

.

I've always thought that operators should only enter data once. You've

got to make a 20-year old system talk to the new system and integrate the

different machines. Even with compatible hardware there isn't compatible

software . It took IBM 5 years to put the main system together but many

people have had to work extra hours developing a tremendous amount of

source code.

In generating specifications , different people are working out there.

Sometimes people do specify interface needs. There is no central office.

Project managers are on station but don't have details. People in the

States have no idea of what's useful. Lip service is paid - they do site

surveys but very few people are capable of doing capacity evaluation

because they have very little automation background in system selection

,

installation, and capacity management. Also when given a project it's

one that somebody else has dreamt up and so the interdependencies and

relations get overlooked in INSCOM.

Systems go out and they're not quick procurement actions. It may spend

one year in planning , going to procurement, and to the RFP . The person

who wins the contract to build the system at his own facility - that

takes another year. So there's a minimum of 2-1/2 years before something

shows up on site and so it's obsolete by the time it reaches the site.

It's been at least 2-1/2 to 3 years after the idea was initiated . The

people who had the idea are gone by then. The force that caused thing to

happen has built up over 3 years. They bring something in special to

deal with the problem of 3 years ago, but the problem size has increased

.

The work load is heavier or shifted in another direction

.

The current system affects the overall productivity and quality of the

product. If a person leaving here after 3 years goes to another field

station and sees same system with few differences , he would be functional

the day he walks in the door. He would have 3 years of experience . Now,

people have it only if they request re-assignment to the same field

station. The logistics systems now all run on Honeywell systems so

35
logistics people can move from place to place. With 3 years on the job

training, people function at 5-6 years out of 10. Our people are the

cream of the crop and are highly motivated and make the real best of a

bad situation . The net effect, however, is that for every field station

tour a person is only productive for 2 of the 3 years. In a limited

number of instances field stations use the same equipment. This cuts

down on the learning curve. There is a need for people to be competent

and have on-going training . It is better to cut out the learning

differences between the various systems at the field stations . It is

better to learn stuff relevant to the job and then learn how to use tools

to do the job. This would allow more time to master the job. A good

idea would be to develop an army automation MOS within INSCOM, identify

people with this MOS and keep them; train and keep people on both army

automation and mission systems.

A major problem is that everyone thinks that they know systems, and can

make decisions about them - data processing , programming, maintenance . As a consequence a great deal of localized decision making exists,

resulting in a variety of ' subsystems' that should work together but are

incompatible . This is true for information , data processing

,

operational, hardware, software, etc .

6 . 3 Headsets

The characteristics of headsets are quite important both for

effectiveness and comfort, especially when one considers that the noise

environment is a very poor one for the tasks performed. Furthermore, if

an employee spends virtually an entire working day with a headset on, its

features play an important role with respect to work comfort, whether

this is recognized by the individual or not.

There appeared to be several approaches employed in the use of headsets.

At some workstations, there was one type that was used by everyone. In

other places, several types were available, and it was up to the operator

to select the one preferred. For yet another type of equipment, only one

type of headset was compatible, and therefore no variety was possible.

The headsets ranged from being quite light and inserted in the ear canal

to those which were quite large and heavy. We didn't have the

opportunity to gauge their relative effectiveness as a barrier to

environmental noise, but it is generally known that the most efficient

headsets from this standpoint are individually fitted and cushioned to

ensure a proper seal from outside noise.

A major problem, particularly at Kunia was the noise levels that

prevailed within the headset. Many of the operators had levels of 80-90

dBA, in an attempt to separate out signal from noise. Reports of hearing

loss were quite common as a result. At other field stations, some

equipment redesign had been done to allow operator control over

extraneous noise levels. Still, though, operators reported minimal

36
loss were quite common as a result. At other field stations, some

equipment redesign had been done to allow operator control over

extraneous noise levels. Still, though, operators reported minimal

training in these control systems. This topic will be discussed in

greater detail in 7.3.

6.4 Equipment Maintenance

When equipment repair is needed, complex interactions are needed at

multiple locations with several people working, often with limited

information and inadequate feedback.

Lighting emerged as a major concern for maintenance personnel. Because

the operational areas are so dimly lit, at the request of the operators,

the maintenance people cannot see to do repairs. They badly need the

capability of task lighting to see the relevant parts of the equipment.

Often, too, the equipment cannot be moved, forcing one person to work on

the front of the equipment and give directions to someone located at the

back. The ergonomics of equipment repair are particularly poor.

Maintenance is made even more difficult because some work locations are

at remote sites. Repairs are often coordinated with someone at the

primary site who can't see what the remote person is doing. At these

places, the elevator breaks down often; buildings are high. People run

up and down to go from work area to sleep/rest area. Phones are 'open'

and messages heard throughout the building; sleep is interrupted; most

messages are for people other than those being contacted. It is a very

stressful job, and all the running makes it more stressful. Performance

is degraded from stress, lack of sleep, movement up and down; also errors

increase. Hours are added to the working day. Time could be saved by

co- locating work and living areas; having separate communication channels

for individuals or at least, locations.

Comments from the Occupants

Auesburg : A primary activity is reading microfiche ; all records are on fiche.

Readers are of cheap quality, lighting is poor. When focusing on

material , document has to be moved and it's easy to get sick to the

stomach during this activity . A major task is looking for parts listed

in many manuals. Sometimes it is necessary to spend all day using fiche

readers

.

Have adequate stock of spare parts so repairs can be done sooner.

Berlin : Replace old test equipment with equipment needed to do the job.

Equipment is old and outdated ; Always needs repairs.

37
7. Job Design

The tasks performed by the various groups, particularly in operations,

appear to be rigidly defined and separated from each another. That is, a

given person performs one and only one task from the time that work

starts, to the end of the day. Many of these tasks are extremely

repetitive; the same type of material is examined time and again. Such

tasks are quite boring for most employees. On the other hand, the

introduction of variety into jobs, even if the alternative task is also a

repetitive one, could alleviate this feeling. If some of these

activities were under the control of operators, so that they could pace

themselves, that would be help in reducing job frustration.

Other activities require individuals to perform their work in "real

time". This situation, where the job itself is made more demanding

because of the quality of the material they deal with, is one requiring

great concentration and skill. The job demands over the space of a

workday are conducive to stress as well as likely degraded performance.

The lack of control over any aspect of the task also contributes to its

difficulty.

Comments from the Occupants

Aussburg : In my job I use an equalizer to filter out static . I turn up the

midrange and reduce the low end. Others don't always use it. I try very

hard not to turn the volume up too high. It takes about 5 minutes to

adjust the equipment to optimize the voice signal. I taught myself the

use of the equalizer . I received one day's of training on the main

system, then was on my own. It took 10-15 minutes to learn how to use

the equalizer

.

Job itself is too stressful . If atmosphere was more easy going, it would

ease the job. Lower the tape recorder/put it in " reasonable " reaching

distance .

Berlin : Need off time to relax. Put equipment within reach and closer together . Fix position to best suit operator; rearrange equipment. I have six

different phones on 4 different desks.

Kunia:

Replace with equipment more suited to operator's needs. There are a

variety of irritants in the facility . There are long reaches of space to

get to equipment . Costs weigh against human engineering features and

changes. It is more economical to rack and stack to save space, yet this

is harder on the operator because he must get up and down 20 times or

more to reach something on the top shelf. With respect to the timing of

human factors input, when performed late , as a retrofit or after thought

38
it is very expensive . Occasionally as a result of general constraints

the human engineering gets lost in the shuffle. As an example, at one of

the old consoles it is very difficult to sit squarely in front of it; the

operators tire quickly. The screen can't be moved to try to fix the

offset problem.

7 . 1 Ergonomics - Organization of Work

Ergonomics has been largely overlooked in the design of equipment used at

the field station. For example, to obtain data operators sometimes must

use several systems which have different keyboards, displays, operating

systems, and software, while making control adjustments requiring

movement from place to place. This is difficult, time consuming, and

likely to result in a high error rate. (There is a history of human

factors work, dating back almost 50 years that is being almost totally

ignored in designing systems.)

In many instances, workstations contain equipment which is difficult to

use, sequences of activities which are difficult to perform, and tasks

that are incompatible with one another. One example is the requirement

to view a VDT while recording information on yellow paper with pencil

under lighting systems which are inappropriate and inadequate for either

task.

Comments from the Occupants

Augsburg:

Ergonomics are a disaster area. There are no manuals for any of the

systems in the area so you can't do preventative maintenance (even though

it's a requirement to so do). It is very rare to talk to the operator or

analyst in the design stage to determine how equipment should work.

Berlin : New systems are coming on line. Timeliness and duplication of efforts

are a real problem. There is often a need to re-enter information in

4-5 places. It's insane to have to rekey in 4 extra places. There are

different keyboards , etc. No continuity . Response times vary for each

system with 6-10 sec response times 10-20 times an hour. It causes major

problems for the operators and introduces the potential for errors,

particularly with fatigue and inexperience . The speaker claimed that an

operation that took 3-5 minutes with the old system would take 29 minutes

to process with the new system because of mind-boggling slowness and

repetition . There is the potential for two incompatible systems working

side by side which crash. Operators spend so much time manipulating the

systems that they can't do work. They need to learn data processing.

The keyboards keep differing . They will need 3 - 4 weeks training to do the

job with each new system. Numerous displays are possible yet they need

only a small percentage of them. Need some automation to indicate

presence of signal and to revisit signal.

39
7.2 Information Systems

Many users are novices, who are reluctant to use devices because they are

afraid of 'killing' the system. Teaching users is a sometime thing and

not a full time activity. Know how is therefore very mixed and

changeable, depending on rotation, inclination, etc of the individual

user. In addition, hardware configurations differ from one another,

terminals and systems can't talk to one another, and software differs, so

that the individual's job is made even more complicated.

Comments from the Occupants

Augsburg : It is difficult for programmers to learn the mission but easier for

mission people to learn programming. They have a spectrum of users from

those who don't want to program to those who'd like to spend all day

doing it. The youngsters frequently are enthusiastic about programming.

They, in the field station keep looking at new products. A primary

problem is that many systems are unique, manned by untrained people. One

problem is control, since people typically do "their own thing".

The databases are not always available . They are starting to get more

timely updates. There is frustration with automation because requests

are not always responded to. There is poor feedback to the user who is

not told the priority on requests

.

1 . 3 Data Gathering

The one exception with respect to a potential noise health hazard

concerns the task of auditory monitoring and analysis. The sound levels

employed by operators to collect information are a major source of

concern. Although the monitoring equipment available to the study team

(an omni-directional microphone) did not permit precise measures at

headsets, it was apparent that many operators spend much of their working

day listening to sound levels that are likely to cause permanent hearing

impairment. Many operators habitually turn up the gain on their systems

to monitor difficult communication; those containing considerable noise

interference. Interviews with many operators revealed that they believe

that their hearing has been impaired by performing this work. Many

reported documented hearing losses of 30-50%. Conversations with "old

timers" has reinforced this view. It is important to note that the

hearing loss can be assessed for specific frequencies by the use of a

sweep frequency hearing test. This would allow determination of whether

the hearing loss was due to the job or due to off -hours radio/stereo rock

music

.

40
8. Organizational Issues

During the visit to each facility, as well as on prior occasions, the

study team was told that a hierarchical system existed within the

organization with respect to the type of work performed; i.e. jobs at

workstations and those at desks. It appeared that the people performing

these separate activities were essentially isolated from one another,

although only physically separated by a few feet. There seems to be

little attempt to provide the opportunity for the people in the two

activities to get together and exchange views. If this is desirable,

then it would be an important reason to provide common spaces, such as

break areas, or even conference rooms, to facilitate such exchanges.

Comments from the Occupants

Augsburg:

The analysts should work with the operators to provide real-time support.

The separation causes a wall and decreases mission efficiency . There is

a lack of communication. For example, the analyst and operator terminals

can't communicate with each other. There is no telephone in the bay.

Information doesn't get looked at because not enough bodies and because

it's difficult to communicate. It's an "Us and them syndrome". They

don't understand the reasons for tasking changes. They need more

liaison

.

41
9. Personal Issues

9 . 1 Training

Many tasks performed by operational, administrative, analytical, and

maintenance personnel consist of activities they have not been trained

for. On-the-job training is widespread but not always as effective as it

might be since it often lacks depth. In addition it takes time away from

the mission.

9 . 2 Morale and Motivation

The interviews and questionnaire findings indicated that the staffs of

all the field stations were highly motivated to do the best job possible.

They know they are performing very important work and their frustrations

center on the inability to do an even better job. Many of their

complaints were directed toward their equipment and its frequent

breakdowns. Other complaints were directed toward "military" activities

that they saw as interfering with their jobs. More than 85% of those

surveyed saw their job as very important and demanding a high degree of

accuracy

.

Figure 10 presents information on people's attitudes toward the overall

importance of their jobs, while figure 11 presents data on their feelings

about the need for accuracy in their work. Both figures indicate that

the vast majority of those questioned feel that their work is very

important and that it must be accurate. Of interest is that the analysts

who were quick to criticize their working conditions have the highest

percentage of people feeling their job is important - over 70% think

their work is very important.

Comments from the Occupants

Augsburg : It is frustrating when equipment failure prevents you from doing your

job.

Berlin : I have been in Army automation for 18 years. I expected to work at the

leading edge of automation technology . It is 10-12 years behind other

Army systems. They are procuring a 4-300 series IBM - which has just been

withdrawn from the commercial market. Our latest system uses machines in

commercial use 15 years ago. It takes 15 years to get something in

procurement"

.

42
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Augsburg

X///A

Kunli
As a technician it is frustrating ; your ability to progress

professionally is retarded . You're not learning . I am the manager for a

support system which maintains a database for a particular operations

.

It summarizes the day's activities and provides specific information

.

This system should allow historical data to project future trends. The

system is old and often down. It doesn't work because:

1. The memory capacity is too small;

2. Its ability to support peripheral devices is too small (it can't

support enough terminals and enough locations to do the job; and

3. It's such an old piece of hardware that obtaining parts is an

"absolute nightmare". If it goes down, you're down for days and

weeks rather than hours.

9.3 Shift Work

The scheduling of shift work - typically days, swings, and mids - has

been the source of many complaints, studies, and alterations. From time

to time, changes in the way the scheduling is done have been made for

each individual field station. While many preferences were expressed

about shifts, the data indicated that there were almost as many different

suggestions as respondents. Little agreement was apparent other than the

suggestion that people should remain on a given shift, particularly mids,

for about a month when the change was made. People agreed further that

changing from one shift to another, rather than being on a given shift,

was particularly disruptive.

9.4 Smoking

The smoking regulations are established by the commander of each field

station, and the practices differ considerably from place to place. For

the most part, smoking was permitted only in designated areas, and not on

the operational floor. What was apparent though was that smokers and

non-smokers wanted equal treatment with respect to access to and the

quality of break areas (when they are separated) . Smokers often felt

that they were discriminated against, while non-smokers felt that they

did not get the break areas that the smokers did. The quality of the

smoking break areas were often abominable - with no extra ventilation to

get rid of smoke. Smokers also commented that they would be more

efficient if they did not have to leave their workstation to smoke, while

non-smokers complained bitterly of smoke in the few areas that still

allowed smoking.

Comment

Berlin : Don't make me feel like bad person because I smoke; the smoke room is

crummy

.

45
9 . 5 Privacy

The need for privacy was most apparent for supervisory personnel who have

to counsel their staffs and for the analysts as a group. The analytical

areas were typically very crowded, noisy, and provided few spaces where

people could "think quietly". Because of the nature of their job

responsibilities, this lack of privacy is thought to adversely affect

their work. Similarly, supervisory personnel commented on the

difficulties of advising and counseling people in open areas where

everyone can hear what was happening.

Figure 12 presents data on the desire for visual privacy, which indicates

that most analysts believe that they have very poor visual privacy, along

with administrators in Berlin and operators in Augsburg.

Comments from the Occupants

Aussburs : Most people work better in semi -private offices; so add some partitions

.

With so many people in such a confined space , noise makes concentration

difficult . Analysis requires concentration.

As a manager I need private space to counsel my subordinates

We are crammed in like sardines ; it makes it hard to work with others and

is stressful. With so many people you're privy to everything that goes

on. There are too many conversations

.

Berlin : There's always someone around to hear or overhear.

Kunia : I need a place to counsel my staff and have personal conversations

.

Install partitions to provide some separation between people.

9.6 Isolation

The windowless settings at the field stations contribute to the sense of

isolation felt by many workers. These settings are so different from

typical work environments that they are likely to contribute to the

overall stress of working conditions. The problem is intensified at

Kunia because of the difficulty in getting outside (a ten minute walk)

,

being underground in "paradise", and the many environmental problems

present there. Photographs, paintings, colored graphics, murals and

artificial windows were used to introduce some novelty into the

environment in one work area at Kunia.

Figure 13 presents data on the truth of the statement "I miss having a

view out." These data indicate that many of those surveyed (50-60%) miss

having a view out.

46
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Comments from the Occupants

Aussburs : Don't see outside except when we come in; never know about weather. Need

something "different" to look at while confined to a chair for 8 hrs . I

hate being confined without a view to the outside world . A simulated

view out would make working more pleasant and tolerable . It would be

more relaxing to be able to go outside

.

Berlin : I think a few paintings or pictures will ease tension some . Need something to look at besides equipment and people.

Kunia : Access to outside could relieve tension - best way to get away from job . Being able to walk outside relieves claustrophobia.

A sense of isolation from the outside prevails . Environment is too

closed in; it results in stress and tension buildup

.

Walking into tunnel is like walking into a morgue . Paint wall with

murals/color

.

Most buildings have places where it's easy to get outside. It's a

quarter mile walk to the outside. I feel the need to get outside at

least once a day.

48
Truth

of

Statement

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10. Planning and Specifications

10.1 Equipment Specification Process

Observations of the working environment, personal interviews, and the

questionnaire survey suggest that the systems, both operational and

administrative, used at the field stations are difficult to use,

maintain, and upgrade. The orientation for procuring such systems seems

to be almost exclusively on obtaining hardware to acquire and process

information. However, the systems examined are not fully automated ones;

rather, they rely on man-machine operations. The fact that people are

essential components of these systems does not appear to get the

attention that it merits. As a result, operators, maintenance personnel,

and other system users are tasked to integrate system performance by

skills that they have to develop - primarily as a result of on-the-job

training. This is a time consuming and inefficient process. For

example, interviewees estimated that it takes from 6 months to a year, a

substantial fraction of their entire tour, for them to master their

assigned tasks.

A primary reason for the difficulties encountered by field personnel in

operating and maintaining their equipment and systems seems to be the

lack of communication among those specifying materiel and those using it.

In all of our data collection activities we did not encounter any

instance where operators or other users had any input to system design

(or knew of any formal field station input). Rather, an ad hoc approach

seems to typify many decisions, resulting in many of the operational and

building related problems identified in the present report.

50
11. Recommendations - General

11.1 Short Term

11.1.1 Furniture systems

The first step required in improving the furnishings of the field

stations is to engage in detailed planning of the various activities

performed (and likely to be performed in the near future) . The analysis

should include consideration of space limitations, likely changes in

technology, and the need for interactions among staff members.

Standardization of components, ready adjustability, and sturdiness ought

to be major considerations in developing criteria for furniture systems.

Other important features are the need to facilitate change and minimize

the "visual clutter" apparent now.

Recommendations

1. Furniture procurement. Revise Army regulations to institutionalize INSCOM exception to purchasing furnishings.

2. Chairs. In the earlier report by Rubin and Collins (1987),

suggested specifications for operator chairs at Kunia were

submitted. A number of chairs meeting these specifications were

obtained and installed. It is suggested that these chairs be

evaluated for durability and comfort as a first step in upgrading

« the furnishings at all field stations.

3. Pilot investigation. Conduct a limited study, consisting of an

analysis of needs, specifying furnishing requirements, and then

purchase systems (whether furniture integrated systems or not) to

be used for specified activities within the field station.

Ensure that "end users" participate in this process. Then,

evaluate the system (or several alternative systems) before

developing final specifications for the furniture. Finally,

implement systems throughout INSCOM.

11.1.2 Heating, Ventilating, and Air-Conditioning Systems

Results from the questionnaire, measurements, and observations indicated

that the temperature and air quality were major concerns at all three

field stations. At Berlin and Augsburg, cold temperatures were a

problem, particularly in the operational areas ip Augsburg and the

analytical and administrative areas in Berlin. At Kunia, indoor air

quality was a problem with mold, dust, and other contaminants visible on

interior surfaces. Stuffiness and occasional overheating were problems

in confined areas (such as the analytic areas) at all three field

stations

.

51
Recommendations

1. Develop, implement, and follow a regular maintenance program,

including regular filter cleaning and changing, for HVAC systems

in all facilities.

2. Continue to implement the upgrades to Berlin, including the

addition of insulation in the analytic areas to raise winter

temperatures. Consider similar procedures for Augsburg.

3. Balance the operation of the HVAC systems so that there are not

excessive differences in temperatures in the same space.

Evaluate the position of equipment relative to air diffusers and

orient it to minimize drafts on the person but maximize air flow

through equipment.

4. Implement the planned upgrades to the HVAC system at Kunia. If

this is not successful in solving the indoor air quality

problems, conduct an indoor air quality survey with particular

attention to biological and chemical contaminants.

11.1.3 Color of Walls, Carpets, and Furnishings

Recommendation

In planning new spaces and refurbishing old ones, encourage the use of

color both on the walls and in the furniture as a means of livening the

environment and providing more visual contrasts. Since painting is

supposed to be performed periodically, this can be accomplished with

little or no added expenditure of resources. Color schemes for all

furnishings should be coordinated to provide uniformity, rather than

tackiness, however.

11.1.4 Visual interest

Recommendation

Paintings, artificial windows and photographs should be used to alleviate

the uniformity of the walls and provide variety and visual interest. The

interview and questionnaire data elicited suggestions that talented staff

members would welcome the opportunity to paint murals on large surfaces

such as the tunnel at Kunia or cafeteria walls. This could be used as

some sort of design competition and/or the means to personalize work

areas by depicting various operations, armed services, etc. The entrance

tunnel at Kunia could provide an "extensive canvas" for many such

creative expressions.

Provide sufficient space for desk/wall personalization such as small

photos, cartoons, etc to avoid the current sterile environment.

52
11.1.5 Illumination

Recommendations

1 . Fixtures and lamps should be uniform throughout given work areas

such as operations, analysis, or administration. Do not mix cool

white and warm white fluorescent light sources within a single

fixture or room.

2. The stock of replacement lamps should be uniform, to ensure that

future changes in lamps do not create the same problems that now

exist

.

3. Preventive maintenance and cleaning of fixtures and bulbs should

be performed regularly. This schedule should be followed to

increase fixture life and decrease problems of flicker.

4. Localized lighting controls, both switching and dimming, should

be available for all major activity areas. While pull cords are

an effective means of control, more elaborate electronic

switching systems are now available that would allow both dimming

and switching from central or individual locations.

5. Fully adjustable task lighting should be provided for all

positions requiring them. The capability of adding lighting for

doing maintenance should be provided when equipment is being

designed.

6. Use better color rendering light sources such as the "designer"

3500 series now available from several major manufacturers. This

would improve the appearance of people, walls and furnishings.

Use a better color-rendering light source other than the high

pressure sodium now being used in the Kunia tunnel so that people

don't look sick.

7. Increase overall illuminance in public areas such as hallways,

break areas, and cafeterias beyond the 10-15 lux often available

now. Consider the use of wall washing in operational areasperhaps to illuminate maps and posters - to increase the apparent

size of the space and to provide visual interest.

8. Evaluate the effectiveness of some of the new types of fixtures

now being marketed for use with VDT's. These include deep cell

parabolic fixtures that are intended to reduce glare and

reflections from the light source on the screen without reducing

light levels below those needed to read paper tasks easily.

Where possible, plan the arrangement of the furniture so that the

light source does not shine in a person's eyes or on his/her

screen. Consider the use of up- lighting in operational areas to

direct light up to and off the ceiling to add illuminance to the

space without increasing screen reflections and glare.

53
9 . Consider the use of light pipes at Kunia to bring daylight into

the dining room. Otherwise, use better color rendering lights in

the dining room and perhaps vary illuminance in the space.

Consider the use of lighted displays to simulate outdoor scenes,

again in the cafeteria or other public area.

11.1.6 Acoustics

Recommendations

1. Whenever possible, isolate major noise sources such as printers,

teletypes, ventilators, etc., from the work floor, so that the

minimum number of people are disturbed. Locate these in a

different room or behind acoustical partitions.

2. Replace noisy equipment, which is usually out-of-date, with

quieter, more efficient devices.

3. Initiate a hearing conservation program to:

a. Determine whether current operator practices have resulted in

substantial hearing losses.

b . Provide additional training to operators as to how to

effectively use their equipment. Teach them that turning up

the gain does not result in better performance.

c. Upgrade equipment to enable operators to selectively filter

noise, thereby- improving the signal/noise ratio and improving

job performance.

11.1.7 Space

Recommendations

1 . Inventory the equipment on the work floors to identify those

items that should be removed.

2. Discard unnecessary equipment.

3. Consider use of space saver desks and work stations. There is

clearly a need to think vertically (as long as people can still

reach items stored above) rather than horizontally. Using

integrated workstations might be a better way of maximizing the

limited space available. Evaluate such furniture before

procurement to determine its sturdiness, likely durability, and

functionality in typical tasks.

54
11.2 Recommendations - Long term

11.2.1 Maintenance

Headquarters . A good record/retrieval system would be achieved if EMRA

could distribute up to date systems operation and repair information on a

computer -readable disk (compatible with current systems in use at the

field stations) , redundant with the manuals now provided to the field

stations. A problem with the current system is the lack of feedback

information and the time delay between when a part is ordered and

received; if a problem occurs, the sequence has to start over again.

This process can take months.

Field Stations. Develop a central system at the field stations for

ensuring that routine maintenance and repairs are done to the facility as

well as to the systems. Develop and adhere to schedules for maintaining

the facility, including HVAC, lighting, painting, furniture inspection,

and similar routine matters that become important only when neglected.

One person in each major activity (operations, analytic, maintenance,

administration) could be made responsible for reporting environmental and

design deficiencies; this can be a rotating assignment. Among the

responsibilities would be to report on the need to:

1. Change lamps when flickering or burnt out.

2. Identify furniture needing repair or replacement.

3. Clean or paint areas.

4. Deal with the presence of dust, odors (air quality) or

other signs of environmental deficiencies.

11.2.2 Systems and Ergonomics

Recommendations

1. Even though early input to the design process by the systems

office is important, they become aware of systems in place only

after the fact, and then their potential contribution is severely

limited.

2. Input from the field and periodic feedback about system

performance is essential, but no formal system is in place to

provide this kind of information.

3. Operations and maintenance people from the field ought to be used

by Headquarters in making design and operational decisions.

4. Authorized representatives of field stations should provide

feedback, rather than relying on ad hoc reports.

5. It would seem to make sense for the systems office to work out of

the CO's shop rather than S3. In this way, it would be feasible

to make the systems office aware of communications and projects

assigned to other units.

55
Field station personnel should participate to the extent possible in

writing specifications for systems so that ergonomic and functional

aspects of the systems are not ignored.

Develop a system for providing positive feedback to site personnel,

particularly operators and analysts. They are informed when something

does not go right; let them know when they have done a particularly good

job, as well.

Evaluate the consequences of systems that are difficult to learn, use and

maintain, in terms of increased errors, lost productivity and increased

frustration. Employ traditional means of obtaining human factors and

ergonomic data to document inefficiencies in current equipment and

systems. These data can demonstrate the costs in terms of mission

performance, delays, etc, associated with not changing current

procedures. (These methods are currently employed throughout DOD; as a

consequence, users do not have to overcome system, hardware and software

design flaws to perform their jobs.) At present, although the authors

strongly believe that performance in the field stations is degraded by

overlooking ergonomic factors in the design installation and use of

equipment, objective evidence, or even expert judgments, to support this

position, is lacking. Therefore, there is a crying need to evaluate

systems from an ergonomic standpoint, demonstrate decreased performance

and correct the systems.

11.2.3 Information Center

Recommendations

1 . Use the information center to support administrative activities

as well as operational and analytic efforts. Ensure that each

primary staff member has a terminal.

2. Train appropriate administrative personnel in the requisite

computer languages and packages

.

3. Standardize hardware and software to the extent possible to

increase ease of support and maintenance.

4. Have the administrative and the mission side talk on the same

network or system, and increase user awareness of the system

capabilities. Network major systems and develop electronic mail

capabilities for administrative tasks.

11.2.4 General Recommendations

1. User and designer should work together in testing and getting

feedback on system performance before, not after, development

when changes are difficult and time consuming. The products

would be better, more timely, easier to use, and more likely to

be acceptable because of user involvement and input.

56
2. Initiate pilot programs to evaluate furnishings and systems at

some locations; design furnishings, test and then make decisions

about general implementation. Also, maintain records of what

works and does not. Better documentation is needed about

developing information, usage, wear, costs, replacements,

maintenance. System and design change records ought to be kept by

S4

.

3. Breakdowns in communication between operators and analysts occurs

in school, with instructors fostering differences; at work, old

timers reinforce ideas of separation. Develop procedures for

ensuring better communication between different groups to

maximize product quality.

11.2.5 Particular Issues

1. Systematic feedback information from the field to Headquarters

(HQ). Now the system is largely ad hoc. For example, if a person

from a unit is nearby, HQ will often obtain information from the

individual, who is likely to have a parochial, rather than a

systems viewpoint. Design decisions will continue to be piecemeal

if this kind of process is typical. For example, the operator may

want to optimize performance of one system component, without

being aware of tradeoffs that may adversely affect other parts of

the system.

2. The organizational structure today in the battalions makes it

difficult to maintain a systems approach.

a. Each operational battalion has a systems officer, primarily

responsive to his commanding officer (CO) , rather than to field

station system objectives. Decisions are made on a 'local' basis

to optimize the performance of a lower echelon unit; such

decisions may not have the same consequence for the field station

or for completion of overall missions.

b. Projects coming into the field station are sent to units based

on traditional military structure, i.e. intelligence to S2. This

practice results in the 'systems office' being unaware of many

projects which should be considered from an overall systems

basis. The only exception to this is for projects assigned to S3,

since the systems office is situated in operations^.

11.3 Design Recommendations

The field stations visited appeared to have evolved as a result of

mission requirements and the use of technologies as they required.

Little facility-wide general planning is evident with regard to office,

information, and analytic functions. Given the space constraints in many

areas, the use of systems furnishings, designed to accommodate computer

terminals and offering vertical storage possibilities, should be given

serious consideration.

57
In upgrading or building new facilities, consider the need to build in

flexibility so new systems can be easily implemented and changes readily

made with technological advances. Provide extra capacity for data

communication, telephones, and power since the work requirements change

constantly.

11.4 Fitness Reports

If environmental quality is to be given serious attention, highlighting

this topic in evaluations of management personnel through fitness reports

or performance evaluations would "send the right signal" to everyone

involved.

/

/
12. Summary and Conclusions

The present research project was initiated in response to a concern

expressed by members of headquarters INSCOM that field station personnel

worked under conditions that had adverse consequences on their

performance and personal well being. The intent of the study was to gain

an understanding of the factors that combine to adversely influence field

station personnel, and recommend ways to alleviate problems. One

operating premise was that the difficulties cited did not arise from any

single dysfunction, but by a combination of them. Of the primary factors

believed relevant were environmental conditions (lighting, acoustics,

thermal comfort), human factors (man- machine interfaces), furnishings,

job design -and shift work. (In the past, many specific studies were

performed in response to particular problems, but the changes initiated

had at best, limited results.)

The study team spent approximately five weeks at several field stations,

interviewed tens of people, analyzed questionnaire responses from

hundreds, made extensive measurements of conditions at the sites, and

carefully observed a host of representative activities. The findings

confirm the concerns expressed by headquarters INSCOM; field station

personnel perform their jobs under conditions likely to impair their

effectiveness. Furthermore, the conditions and circumstances that

negatively impact the staff are even more varied than those cited at the

start of the study.

The following is a brief review of the major problems areas encountered,

with some approaches that might be helpful in alleviating some of them.

12.1 Environmental Issues

The working environments differ in detail from station to station but on

the whole have the appearance of being neglected with respect to

maintenance and furnishings . Little thought appears to be given to these

issues. Ceilings in many locations are noticeable for the variety of

lighting fixtures, lack of maintenance and different lamp colors. Desks

and chairs show little uniformity and appear to be of ancient vintage in

office areas; carpets, when available are often in disrepair and patched

together. Temperatures are noticeably uncomfortable in many areas and

complaints of being too cold were widespread, particularly at the two

sites in Germany. Task lighting was a widespread request, and seldom

available. Colors were almost uniformly drab pastels; little variety was

evident

.

12.2 Equipment and Job Design

Equipment unreliability was a major source of complaint. Considerable

skepticism was also evident concerning purported equipment 'upgrades'

.

Many respondents indicated that 'new and improved' systems were slower,

59
less responsive and more prone to break down than the systems they

replaced. Observations of several activities also indicated that many

were extremely difficult to perform. The equipment provided and the

sequence of tasks constituted an 'ergonomic horror show'. That is,

little thought seems to have been given to designing systems to maximize

operator performance, while minimizing the possibility of errors and

their consequences. For example one task required operators to look in

one direction, stretch in another to initiate control actions and record

information. Another required mastery of three different keyboards, as

many operating systems and perform these actions in sequence to collect

required information.

12.3 General Observations

Personnel find it difficult to sustain their feelings of importance and

self worth. The staff of INSCOM are highly qualified and among the most

capable of people recruited in the armed services. When their military

careers are started, they are convinced their jobs are extremely

important. Unfortunately this conviction is being undermined in several

ways

:

The expectations of people working with high technology systems are that

they will work with state-of-the-art equipment. Field systems,

especially computer-based ones, are often antiquated. While trained

people are aware of the new technology, they are unable to gain

experience with it and are frustrated by having to use old devices and

obsolete software systems.

The first priority for funding in the past has been for high technology,

while environmental conditions which result in complaints, get worse year

by year. Promised upgrades and expansions are frequently on 'the drawing

board' but seldom get implemented. While waiting for these changes, small

scale upgrades are postponed.

The technology at the field stations appears to be imposed on the people

rather than being provided for them. That is, while systems and hardware

are to be operated and maintained by field station personnel, they have

little or no input into their design or configuration. The people have

to adapt to the technology, regardless of how difficult it is to operate.

Field personnel can make a valuable contribution to the design of such

systems, based on their hands-on experiences. Frequently, they are not

provided the opportunity for input.

Just as equipment and system users could provide valuable input to

writing specifications, those responsible for generating these

requirements would greatly benefit by on-site visits to field stations to

learn first-hand, how operators perform their jobs, and what problems are

encountered using current systems. A wealth of ergonomic information is

available, it needs to be applied for improved mission performance.

60
Furnishings are too frequently hand-me-downs; items that have been in

storage for years. This combined with inadequate facility maintenance

add to the slipshod appearance of many areas. The message interpreted by

many respondents is that 'management doesn't seem to care about the

working conditions of the troops'.

While the problem areas identified were categorized in the report for

convenience, the most important point to be made is that the individual

works under the burden of their cumulative effect. Thus, if we examine

particular complaints of poor lighting, ineffective temperature

regulation, poor air quality, broken furniture, drab surroundings,

unreliable equipment, inadequate space, and high technology systems

difficult to operate and maintain, it does not conjure up the image of a

good working environment. But the scope of the problem becomes evident

when we consider that many people are subject to ALL of these conditions.

One way of comprehending the combined effects of these various factors is

to consider them as 'stressors'. In some instances they are readily

attributable to tangible sources such as glare on VDT screens and broken

furniture, while in other cases the sources are less apparent, and

perhaps more fundamental. For example, it was made clear that the cool

temperatures found in Berlin and Augsburg, were maintained to ensure that

the equipment was suitably cooled. The fact that the staff were

uncomfortable and often had to wear jackets and gloves indoors was a

"necessary evil". (Data were collected indicating that temperatures in

many areas are below those established by ASHRAE (1981) defining comfort

conditions .

)

This prioritization of equipment over people is reinforced by the faulty

facility maintenance, old furnishings, lack of amenities in break areas,

and other issues noted previously. It is understood by too many people as

a message that undervalues the importance of the individual. In our view,

this is the most basic problem encountered, and the one requiring

immediate attention.

61
13. References

1 . American National Standard for Human Factors Engineering of Visual

Display Terminals - Revised Review Draft. July 1986.

2. American Society for Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning

Engineers. 55-1981.

3 . Kaufman , J . ( Ed . ) Illuminating Engineering Society Handbook:

Reference Volume. New York, N.Y: IESNA, 1984 AND 1987.

4. Meyer, B. Indoor Air Quality. Reading, MA: Addison-Wes ley Pub. Co.

,

1983.

5. Morris, R.H. Indoor Air Pollution: Airborne Viruses and Bacteria.

Heating. Piping and Air Conditioning. Feb. 1986, pp. 59-68.

6. National Research Council. Indoor Pollutants. Washington, D.C.

:

National Academy of Sciences, 1981.

7. National Research Council, Committee on Vision. Video Displays.

Work, and Vision. Washington, D.C.: National Academy of Sciences,

1983.

8. Rea, M. Visual Performance with Realistic Methods of Changing

Contrast. Journal of the Illuminating Engineering Society. 1981,

10, pp. 164-177.

9. Rubin, A. & Collins, B. Interim Survey of Selected Military Building

Environments: A Research Approach. NBSIR 87-3606, August 1987.

10 Shahnavaz, H. Lighting Conditions and Workplace Dimensions of VDT

Operators. Ergonomics

.

1982. 25, pp. 1165-1173.

62
Appendix A. Glossary of Terms Used in the Text

The lighting definitions are taken from Chapter 1, Dictionary of Terms,

of the IES Reference Handbook (1984) and are indicated by quotes.

Ambient Lighting - "Lighting throughout an area that produces general

illumination.

ANSI - American National Standards Institute.

ASHRAE - American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning

Engineers

.

Ballast - "A device used with electric discharge lamp to obtain the

necessary circuit conditions (voltage, current, and wave form) for

starting and operating."

CFM - Cubic Feet Per Minute.

Color Rendering Index - "Measure of the degree of color shift objects

undergo when illuminated by the light source as compared with the color

of those same objects when illuminated by a reference source of

comparable color temperature."

dBA - A logarithmic measure of sound pressure level, expressed as a ratio

between two sound pressures, and weighted by the A weighting factor which

adjusts the sound level measurements for variations in the response of

the human ear to different frequencies

.

Diffuser - "A device to redirect or scatter the light from a source,

primarily by the process of diffuse transmission."

Direct Glare - "Glare resulting from high luminances or insufficiently

shielded light sources in the field of view."

Disability Glare - "Glare resulting in reduced visual performance and

visibility. It is often accompanied by discomfort."

Discomfort Glare - "Glare producing discomfort. It does not necessarily

interfere with visual performance or visibility."

EPA - Environmental Protection Agency.

Footcandle, fc - a measurement of illuminance. The SI (Metric) unit is

the lux. "The unit of illuminance when the foot is taken as the unit of

length. It is the illuminance on a surface one square foot in area on

which there is a uniformly distributed flux of one lumen, or the

illuminance produced on a surface all points of which are at a distance

of one foot from a directionally uniform point source of one candela."

63
J

Glare - "The sensation produced by luminance within the visual field that

is sufficiently greater than the luminance to which the eyes are adapted

to cause annoyance, discomfort, or loss in visual performance and

visibility."

HVAC - Heating, ventilating and air conditioning system.

IESNA - Illuminating Engineering Society of North America

Illuminance - "Density of the luminous flux incident on a surface; it is

the quotient of the luminous flux by the area of the surface when the

latter is uniformly illuminated. In lay terms illuminance is the amount

of light falling om a surface. It is measured in Lux or foot candles. A

foot candle = 10.76 lux."

INSCOM - U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command

Louver - "A series of baffles used to shield a source from view at

certain angles or absorb unwanted light. The baffles usually are

arranged in a geometric pattern."

Luminaire - "A complete lighting unit consisting of a lamp or lamps

together with the parts designed to distribute the light, to position and

protect the lamps and to connect the loops to the power supply."

Luminance - "The quotient of the luminous flux at an element of the

surface surrounding the point and propagated in directions defined by an

elementary cone containing the given direction; by the product of the

solid angle of the cone and the area of the orthogonal projection of the

element of the surface on a plane perpendicular to the given direction."

In lay terms, it is the amount of light reflected from a surface. It is

measured in candelas/meter squared - (cd/m^) or footlamberts . A

footlambert = 3.426 cd/m^.

Luminance Contrast; Contrast - "Relationship between the luminance of an

object and its immediate background. It is equal to (L^-L2 )/li where L^

and L2 are the luminaire of the background and object, respectively. The

form of the equation must be specified."

Luminance Ratio - "Ratio between the luminances of any two areas in the

visual field."

NAS - National Academy of Sciences

NBS - National Bureau of Standards

OSHA - Occupational Safety and Health Administration

Quality of Lighting - "Pertains to the distribution of luminance in a

visual environment. The term is used in a positive sense and implies

64
that all luminances contribute favorably to visual performance, visual

comfort, ease of seeing, safety and esthetics for the specific visual

tasks involved."

Task Ambient Lighting - "A combination of task lighting and ambient

lighting within an area such that the general level of ambient lighting

is lower than and complementary to the task lighting."

Task Lighting - "Lighting directed to a specific surface or area that

provides illumination for visual tasks."

VDT - Video Display Terminals

65
J

Appendix B. Transcript of Interviews at the Three Field Stations

B.l Transcript of Kunia Interviews, April 1987

The following is the transcript of interviews made at the second visit to

the Kunia field station. The report by Rubin and Collins (1987) contains

transcripts of interviews from an earlier visit.

B.1.1 Interview with Facility Manager

The facility manager discussed the planned air conditioning

rehabilitation to include a chilled water loop for each floor (1,2, and

3) and replacement of overhead ceiling type air handler units, some of

these were last replaced in 1954. Some floor units in the raised floor

areas will also be replaced. The existing duct work will be used since

an environmental assessment by army personnel from Japan indicated no

aldehydes or similar harmful chemicals in the ducts. The new scheme

calls for conditioning the air for the first time since the place was

built using a pre-conditioning coil in the intake tunnel. This should

help both the relative humidity and the cold temperatures. Now, there is

no way to control the reduction in temperature overnight. The air is

simply filtered to reduce dust.

At present there is a problem with drafts even with warm temperatures.

With the AC rehabilitation, there will be more uniform control of air

flow, temperature, and relative humidity, along with cleaner air. Many

current problems were attributed to an outdated AC system.

With respect to drafts, in rooms with raised flooring, the floor area is

pressurized. The pressurized air ideally is drawn into the equipment

racks, and the heat is exhausted out and recirculated. The problem is

that equipment racks have their own fans, provided by the manufacturer.

When these fans are running, the drafts can be considerable. Attempts to

convince the manufacturer's representatives that the fans are not needed

have been unsuccessful . They prefer to use fans which draw in warm air

from other equipment, blow it through their equipment, and exhaust it out

the bottom (often onto people)

.

Another source of drafts is that holes are cut in the floor for equipment

wiring and not closed when the work is completed. For example, there is

one room on the third floor with 20 holes.

Heavily loaded racks need separate fans, but there are differences of

opinion between the AC person and the rack technician. The latter is

often unaware of current AC technology (such as that described above, in

which the equipment and AC system work together, instead of in conflict).

The technicians are often unfamiliar with the Hawaiian climate with

relatively high constant temperatures and humidities. Furthermore, they

seem to think if a hole is provided for a fan, a fan must be used.

66
All floors must be pressurized so air flow can be routed through the

equipment as designed. The monitoring must be done by hand, even after

the AC upgrade, because of the expense of separate monitoring. The

planned upgrade will provide a better way of controlling the air

handlers, however. It is more difficult for the AC system to be as

flexible as the equipment racks since the building must be modified in

some cases.

Changing duct work is not easy. On the third floor 90% of the floor

tiles leak air (from the air conditioning), because they are worn out and

the rubber stripping is gone. A new floor is needed.

B.1.2 Interviews With Four Operators - Equipment Design Issues

The operators discussed some of the ergonomic design issues involved with

various types of equipment used at the field station.

B. 1.2.1 Hazeltine Console

The operator listens for a signal with characteristic sound - he tunes it

in, then sets the receiver with the keyboard. One problem is that the

keyboard is off-center - being placed to the left of the desk area. He's

sitting catty comer to it, which makes it difficult to key correctly.

If the wrong key is hit the signal can be lost and the operation must be

started again. The major equipment problem is the keyboard placement,

which causes errors, fatigue and back strain. of the troops are) and finds

that his back hurts sometimes. The chair is not comfortable. There is a

bar on the table which is in the way. It is intended to be a footrest

but often restricts movement. A printer must be accessed once a signal

is found. The operator has to stretch to the side to access controls

that can barely be reached from the initial position. The chair can't be

moved because it is blocked by equipment. More space is needed also,

especially for reference books.

The operator has to change positions to turn on printer. Printer speed

must be adjusted by turning knobs, even though it's supposed to adjust

automatically. Another problem is that the job entails switching from

printer to screen - fast - which is difficult in the cramped space.

In changing settings, a key must be depressed repeatedly, instead of

changing automatically until the key is released. Another problem is

that one signal is monitored on a scope which doesn't feed into the main

display console; this must be adjusted separately, by stretching to the

side

.

67
B.l.2.2 Issues Associated with the Double Lancer consoles

When the operator searching for a signal, finds it, he communicates by

shouting and brings it up on his receiver. He adjusts the antenna,

depresses a button, gets the signal, sits down, starts a recorder, checks

the levels, and inputs a tape jack input into a rack. During this time,

he must shout because he can't leave his station. The rack contains at

least one demodulator that is never used. The operator must kneel to use

an audio interface assembly. One on the bottom is never used; it's just

part of the rack. A scope on the right side of the workstation is used

to monitor the signal which is manually patched into it. He sees it on

scope and learns to identify the pattern on the screen. He hits 3

buttons and also has a tuning switch on a demodulator.

Wires are strung over a keyboard. The operator comments that the

keyboard itself is excellent. There is a spectrum analyzer for tuning the

signal and adjusting frequencies. He does need to stretch to look at one

display or another. He may key something in on the right, then turn the

chair 180 degrees to see another screen on the left. The chair is wobbly

and hard and not enough room on the desk to write.

B.l.2.3 Wideband with teletype

This is a wideband position which examines recorded information. The

operator reviews 4-5 tapes for a possible signal. Manual patching is

required to obtain signals. There is no automatic display. If something

is found, it is written in pencil on paper first, then keyed to a TTY.

There is supposed to be a time signal on it, but it's broken so times are

entered manually.

The job is very boring. Sometime there are three minutes of signals to

be heard in six days of work. Once patched in, the signal must be tuned.

The equipment is positioned awkwardly for use; at the side instead of

being in front. Numbers are read at an acute angle; it is clearly

uncomfortable. Also she has two receivers, one of which doesn't function

well. There is a self- test on the demodulator which doesn't work. It

is a black box which is not used. The two printers near here are never

used; they divide the racks, however.

As for chairs, people have their own preference. The table is too low;

she bangs her knee on it. She has a note board that can be used for

passing on information to later shifts.

B. 1.2.4 Blueprint

The analyst sits at a desk waiting for something to happen. She needs to

be able to use paper and pen. When the operators shout at her for things

to be checked, she must turn around and move to the terminal. The

terminal is several (10-12 ft) away from her desk. A person with a

question or something to be checked can also come and use it. As a

68
result, there is a walkspace behind her. She checks on the question and

shouts back or writes down information or may print it. She usually

shouts at the operator to get attention. If the person is busy, she'll

go over to the screen and record needed information. For unidentified

signals, she/they watch screens.

She walks to different positions through the day - once or twice an hour

on a slow day, but on other days she can run "her feet off". Every hour

to hour and a half, she must go up front to get traffic from one area,

about 75-100 meters away. She runs a message service, getting material

for herself and for the operators. Her activities involve a printer,

terminal, communication, and walking to ensure that operators are

performing appropriately.

The lights were formerly dimmer and easier on the eyes, but her desk was

illuminated by a hall light. Now she can't read the operator's screens,

which appear as a green blur. She could use a desk lamp with dim

overhead lighting. As for chairs, she is in her third chair for the day.

It's really musical chairs - you have to switch to get a chair that will

roll. The operators need one that will tilt back and forth. So many of

the chairs are broken.

There is a lot of shouting. She gets hoarse by the end of the day. She

also has to change paper/ribbons on at least 2-3 printers and do a lot of

housekeeping. There is not nearly enough space for storage, although she

is the best supplied in the area. There are major problems when the

Scribelet terminals go down. Then everything must be done manually which

is very time-consuming. Another problem arises during clean-up, when the

printer must be unplugged to plug in the vacuum. Then they get errors on

the system upstairs which upsets the staff. Unfortunately, the only plug

available is one in the center of the floor, so the problem appears to be

unavoidable

.

B.2 Transcript of Interviews at Augsburg

B . 2 .

1

Maintenance

A primary activity is reading microfiche; all records are on fiche.

Readers are of cheap quality, lighting is poor. When focusing on

material, document has to be moved and its easy to get sick to the

stomach during this activity. A major task is looking for parts listed

in many manuals. Sometimes it is necessary to spend all day using fiche

readers

.

Other records are in massive manuals, difficult to locate material and

make appropriate orders without mistakes. Parts are identified by

numbers listed in manuals; one after another must be sequenced to

complete a request. Power is 50 and 60 Hz, some systems are mixed with

both; i.e. fluorescent is one frequency and the ballast, another.

69
Private space for individual work and conversations with staff is verydifficult to come by.

They painted their space; purchased paints, selected colors and did the

work themselves on their own time. The added color made a great

difference; it also provided the opportunity to clean up the room.

PCs and WPs are needed to help speed up paper work. There is a good deal

of skepticism about electronic data. Hard copy is needed and cannot

readily be replaced. Problems are to be certain it has been received and

whether it is accurate.

Electronic system if it works is fast, accurate, changes can be made

rapidly; everyone can work with the same set of books (not true now; page

updates occur frequently) . Positive feedback possible with electronic

system. Accuracy and time improved also.

Some work locations are at remote sites; breakdown of elevator occurs

often; buildings are high. People run up and down to go from work area

to sleep/rest area. Phones are 'open' and messages heard throughout the

building; sleep is interrupted; most messages are for other people than

those being contacted. It is a very stressful job, running makes it more

stressful. Performance is degraded from stress, lack of sleep, movement

up and down; also likely error increase. The work day extends well

beyond 8 hours

.

When equipment repair is needed, complex interactions are needed at

multiple locations with several people working with limited information

and inadequate feedback.

B.2.2 Data Processing

Commanders of operating units decide who gets what. A great deal of

variability exists depending on knowledge and inclination of chiefs.

Systems were initially developed for specific purposes; now there is a

library of often used programs which are modified. Operational and

office information systems are separate entities. Data are occasionally

combined when reports are written.

Programs often do not meet user needs. There is not enough dialogue

between people developing programs and users. There is an informal

network of users but most of the contacts are formal; designated

representatives from operating units.

Software change requests are filled out when software is delivered, often

only tests are those done afterward, the first time that user input is

permitted. Now, if product doesn't work, a request change is made and

the product is recycled as before. It can take from 2 to 3 weeks to

change

.

70
B.2.3 Information Center

Only data processing people are permitted to write programs; concern that

amateurs will mess up system. SQL (structured query language)

information system used; it is a menu-driven program, which lends itself

to writing required reports. Electronic mail is available; used

primarily by managers, many troops are unaware of its existence or how to

use it. Training guides are being prepared to facilitate computer use.

Training on new products is provided.

The configuration manager is responsible for providing proper space and

environment for new equipment and systems. He determines what happens to

old equipment, placement of people being displaced by systems.

New equipment and configurations are not human engineered separately or

in systems or subsystems. Systems are often not controllable or

maintainable by staff; size, sequencing of activities, etc. are major

problems. Patch cords are in the way because much equipment is

prototype. End users are not included in the process, or configuration

people. Often there is a discrepancy between initial information on

needs and the delivery of the final product; differences in size,

configuration, etc. Initial decisions are often based on faulty

information, resulting in problems. Change orders often take from 3 to 4

months to process

.

System stack (organization) often is illogical from user or maintenance

standpoint. Decisions are made at headquarters with little or no

knowledge about use conditions; viewed as a hardware problem instead of

man-machine one.

B.2.4 Supply - S4

The procurement system is old; based on line numbers, and authorization

of mission equipment. Furniture procurement is based on an authorization

guideline with flexibility permitted with regard to colors,

configurations

.

Systems furniture is possible under a command and control regulation; if

this regulation can be expanded to include INSCOM activities, then a

'blanket' system approval exists.

Users make decisions on the basis of furniture catalogs in most

instances; these come from GSA schedule; time to get equipment can be

from 90 days to a year.

There are problems with carpet tiles; fibers can get into equipment.

Quality is important, specifications guided by traffic; cleaning is

another problem, dirt is swept and gets into equipment, vacuum is seldom

used. The sub floor must be kept clean; a good deal of dirt ends up

71
there. The new area of 2000 sq ft, with carpet tile is holding up well

after several months of use.

Changes are made as a result of complaints; facility engineers are

supposed to maintain space. People usually make changes on their owne.g. installing carpets in unauthorized areas, resulting in possible

equipment problems due to faulty carpets quality.

Carpet tiles are easier to maintain and replace than carpets, e.g.

spillage of coffee - replace tile, cannot replace entire carpet, results

in unsightly mess.

B.2.5 Systems Office

The organization is supposed to provide a common systems viewpoint for

operational activities; this includes hardware, software, maintenance and

ergonomics. The unit is staffed from operating units, who have people

rotate in and out of the activity; with the hope that the systems

orientation will be brought to the operating floor by this means.

Problems

A major problem is that "everyone thinks that they know systems", and can

make decisions about them - data processing, programming, maintenance. As

a consequence a great deal of focalized decision making exists, resulting

in a variety of 'subsystems' that should work together but are

incompatible. This is true for information, data processing, operational,

hardware, software, etc.

In several cases, where systems have been replaced, operators indicate

that the 'improved' system is much worse than the discarded one . For

example, an analog system was replaced by a digital one difficult to use,

takes much longer to control and provides little feedback to the

operator. As a result, getting the same information takes more time and

is much more difficult for the operator to use.

In the present system, modifications require change orders which are very

time consuming and costly. Decisions are made on faulty data and then

changes are made. There is a better way.

The air force, unlike the Army, relies heavily on user input throughout

the process, and they seem to avoid many of the problems encountered in

field stations by the Army.

B.2.6 Interview with Operations Officer

Operations officer provides mission management activity for each area.

She provides mission oversight, evaluation, guidance and tasking for

field station operations. In one case she makes her own decisions; in

the second case they are tasked from headquarters. There is much

72
flexibility with tasking and assigning operators. If they see a change,

they can respond to it for up to 72 hours before being redirected. At

the field station they have considerable experience in determining

importance of different activities. They must use informed judgement as

well as use some software as part of the trial and error process.

They have expertise in new hardware systems. The old evaluation systems

don't work well, so they have to develop their own approach but do have

on-site expertise. They work with programmers on how to develop user

input. They use ex-operators as contractors to develop software. Many

people are just becoming computer literate so working with the

programmers is important.

People should know the task difficulty of requests; they need to work

with programmers and the data processing staff. The problems in dealing

with data processing is that many are civilians who can program, but

don't understand the mission very well. The products don't always meet

user needs.

User assist in designing equipment is needed. It was done on one

specific system, which hasn't come back yet. They need case studies to

demonstrate the problem. Contracting in pieces causes problems. Things

don't talk to each other properly as a result. One system works well

because an individual saw a problem and tried to solve it. It was cheap,

fielded quickly, and works well. It has a narrow focus, however.

Broader systems tend to have more problems. Often old systems (which

work) are removed when new ones come in. They can't go back to the old

ones when the new ones are there. They can't do testing on a new system

before installation (to iron out the bugs). It's very frustrating.

As for environmental factors, there are no windows, and it is cold! It

is a problem for the whole facility. She doesn't like the carpeted tiles

because you can't keep them clean. They look cozier but they are trashed

after 6 months. Coffee gets spilled all over. The operators leave their

positions, drink coffee, and spill it. The lights are different colors,

tubes are missing. Replacing the ceiling is a self-help effort. The

field engineer doesn't do replacements (on light bulbs).

The analytical area looks awful. They have created a labyrinthine

atmosphere. It reinforces the mentality that each person is responsible

for only one area. There's lots of paper because they don't throw things

out. They went to great lengths to bring the analysts together to

further communication. The analysts then built a wall so you can't walk

freely. Mission control was repainted but it's still dark and

depressing, particularly on mids . They want to be able to see screens.

In some areas troops have dimmed lights to see better. The lack of

privacy for supervisory personnel is beginning to be solved. Two

supervisors may share an office. There is more office space now for

counseling. The analysts now have an area for supervision. Analysts

have no privacy. It's a difficult area to work. The terminal locations

73
have dictated the positioning of the space.

B.2.7 Data Processing

The chief of the Data Processing Division discussed the interface between

programming and analysis. The army training for programming is aimed at

supporting standard army systems for data acquisition including COBAL,

PL-1, and IBM databases. Another difficulty is that people often arrive

without clearances and it takes 6-8 months to get them cleared. They are

placed on an administrative, non-secure system for limited training.

There are two major systems - mission, and administrative support. The

operation system is similar so the transfer is somewhat effective. It

still takes 4-8 months to "get up to speed". In a three year tour,

training and clearances can take up one year. Training is hard to come

by in Europe . There are more courses in the US . The contract group

,

MANTECH, lends continuity and provides an institutional memory in the

civilian work force. Some army personnel stay on for as much as 5-7

years

.

The application side is traditional. Much time is spent in maintaining

software and not much in development. As for dialogue with the user, if

the mission needs something, they will send their request to the S-3 who

will prioritize it and send it to DPD. DPD will review outstanding

requests and priorities and respond. People will be switched around as

the priorities change. The MANTECH people communicate better because

they often were operators in the military.

In terms of how to make things happen, he encourages more personal

interaction. A program is in place to support the user by encouraging

direct communication with the targeted DPD representative. Weekly

meetings are used to develop quick response capabilities. Mission people

are not discouraged from doing their own programming although sometimes

their programs are not efficient. This can hurt the overall system

performance. They have tried giving operators a somewhat simpler

language

.

His own vision is of a broader Information Center. He would like to see

the information center include administrative activities. Ideally, the

individual with a request will go to the Information Center (IC) person

who will evaluate how to do the task (the person, the IC, or some mix).

This is happening, but not fast enough. The administrative personnel

aren't trained in the requisite computer language. For example SASS

works much better than COBAL. They are beginning to give PC's to

everyone. All PC's go to the IC and -then go to the user. They have

Lotus 1,2,3 and DBase3, which will eventually perform some of the

functions of the IC. They have standardized on software packages;

headquarters will furnish software, delivered with the PC's. The

copyrighted items can cause a nightmare because they cannot be copied

ethically.

74
Eventually, the plan is to have the administrative and the mission side

talk on the same terminal. There is a need to increase user awareness of

the system capabilities. They give classes on the system and the

languages. He put a GS-5 in charge of operations who has been excellent.

The IC now has a great deal of momentum at the field station. They are

beginning to network major systems and are developing electronic mail

capabilities for administrative tasks. The plan is for each primary

staff member to have a terminal.

There are some problems of disk storage. He expects PC's to be connected

to the mainframes and with each -other. This will take time. The

databases are not always available. They are starting to get more timely

updates. There is frustration with automation because requests are not

always responded to. There is poor feedback to the user who is not told

the priority on requests.

Attempts are made to satisfy the three battalions as appropriate. They

look for generic problems and solutions - it is better to write one

program which satisfies the needs of three users than of only one. Some

programs take years to develop. This is sometimes understandable and

sometimes not. There is a move to off-the-shelf hardware/software and to

take advantage of such systems.

As for the environment, he feels it has improved over the last three

years. They have tripled their terminals but need the proper tools to do

their work. They have gone to modular furniture to spruce up the area.

"One problem is that organizers for the tops of desks don't always fit - you'll find a 4' desk and a 6' organizer for example." They will replace

the traditional army desk with workstations and modular furniture and

have ordered terminal desks

.

B.2.8 The Information Center

Ergonomics are a problem in the work space, commented another speaker.

There is a teletype on the other side of the wall that interferes with

thoughts and conversations , The sound comes through and over the top of

the wall. A work order was submitted to fix it about 6-8 weeks ago, but

they had to special order the partitions, which are not a standard size.

He's in a temporary room, supposedly for six weeks. So far he's been

there 3-4 months with at least another 6 weeks likely. There are no

lights at the back of the room. He has a fluorescent task lamp but it

makes a lot of noise. It doesn't provide enough light so he brought in

another lamp from home. The tables they are working on were ordered 1-2

years ago. They are nice because you can move the keyboard up and down

and tilt it. "Still, when I go home at night, I usually have pain across

the back of my shoulders. It's probably due to my chair".

It is cramped in the facility but they hope to get an extra 100 sq. ft.

when they move. They moved before, to make room for a group requiring

more space. They are fortunate to have terminals for each person. They

75
will also have enough PC's so they can work with the customer with PC

problems. The system in IC was two years in development. The

programming staff was not sure that they needed an IC. They have now

redesigned the editor for the system to be easier and provide better

instructions. They have created a menu system that will allow the user to

use the system more freely.

There are two mainframes and numerous PC's. At the end of the summer

they will get a minicomputer. They publish a quarterly newsletter which

they would like to be a monthly one. Its purpose is to announce training

courses and general purpose tips for people about various computer

packages . The name of their office has been change from DPD to

Information Management Office. (Letters to the editor about problems

users have might be a good addition to the newsletter.) There is an IC

representative person in the 3 operational battalions and two others

.

There are 5 members whose representatives come to the IC for training for

5 weeks. There are two representatives per battalion. They try to teach

as much as possible about the mainframes. DP, Operational system,

editor, language, application packages are a challenge, but the people

are highly motivated. There are 12-15 packages. They expect the

representative to be better than the average user and represent both the

IC and the battalion. User written programs vary in size and may be

written for battalion and mission. One goal is to get communication open

between battalions so they have weekly meetings at which they exchange

ideas

.

B . 2 . 9 Interview with Analysts

The conversation is with the analysts and the impact of the working

environment on them. The speaker comments that when he arrived here

3-1/2 years ago, "the policy was to have only 1 fluorescent bulb/fixture,

even though they hold 3 normally. It was really dark in here. We put in

extra bulbs and were chastised for daring to put in anything. People

were on an energy conservation kick. it was unbelievable! There are two

different types - soft white and bright. Most of the fixtures are broken

and hard to access. The latch breaks when you try to change the bulbs.

You can't get bulbs in and out easily to change them. In the section

that's supposed to do it, a work order takes months. He has been there

3-1/2 years and has never seen them come in to do anything, even check

them. They're flickering like crazy. He could get stuff if he had the

right connections and work order. When he first arrived the ceiling

tiles were kind of brown and stained from smoking. The vents were black

and the walls were filthy. The tiles were cleaned. The speaker spent

three days putting up the walls and did the construction and moying. He

wanted to improve the environment. He talked to the Field Engineer, who

said it would take 6 mo+ to improve the area and he didn't have time.

The FE ordered the ceiling tiles for them to put up, and so his section

replaced the tiles. The stripping isn't right, however. They have

requested paint for the walls which badly need to be painted. It's

against the law to have an extension cord for fire safety reasons. They

76
have all sorts of different power in the walls - 60 Hz , 50 Hz, 110, 220,

etc. He has one terminal connected to an illegal extension cord

connected to a broken outlet. It is taped to the floor. The work orders

don't work but the supplies request (for ceiling tiles, paint, rollers,

brushes) do seem to provide the basics. You need to remember that his is

a 24 hour mission so all environmental work takes away from the mission.

When they changed the ceiling tiles in 1984-85, they pulled all the

asbestos out. It was difficult to work. People were wearing masks.

They took readings but ignored people. It all took about a year. They

made a protective bubble, vacuumed out the asbestos. The people guarding

the asbestos removal workers wore protective suits. They found that the

tiles were impregnated with asbestos a»d "gook" which falls out into the

terminals when changing the tiles. It is a real problem. There are also

wires laid on top of the tiles. They run wires to move terminals (which

they're not supposed to do) and the wires catch junk on top of the tiles.

The fire control system also interferes with the tiles. The outlets in

the walls are broken and hanging loose. They don't have covers and there

are not enough plugs. They have moved at the direction of the CO several

times. The barriers in the rooms cause problems and there aren't

adequate outlets in the walls. Since the walls are temporary, they can't

meet their needs, yet they are constantly getting more terminals.

There was a power upgrade at the field station but it doesn't get into

the individual working areas. The space allocation doesn't match the

mission loading so the speaker's area is very crowded. The space is not

apportioned properly. The rule of thumb is that if you can acquire space

you can in a sort of "lebensraum" type maneuver. He has one 4 -drawer

safe so he has to use the computer for storing information but that's not

up 100% by any means. There are six piles of material on his desk that

he'd like to get rid of. Do analysts like clutter (as has been alleged

by other non- analysts?) He says no, but they don't have enough storage

area for things they need. When you are doing shiftwork, you need to

leave a clear trail for the analyst who comes after you.

One real problem is the VIP's who come through for which you have to

secure the area and can't do any work. Another problem is the need to

stand latrine guard during the six months it took the Germans to rebuild

the latrines. You couldn't use the latrine at 9AM because there was only

one open. They are short of manpower, yet provide people for guard duty.

They had a jackhammer outside on the latrine and the noise was

unbelievable . The upgrades to improve condition cause all sorts of

problems 'on a 24-hour mission.

They need to use computers to automate their work. They would like DPD

to talk to them without being asked (although they are helpful when asked

about problems) . The MANTECH people do come to the analytic area and have

meetings but DPD doesn't. The interaction stops at the S3 level and

doesn't reach the analyst level. Change requests go through too many

people

.

77
They estimate that only 30-50% of their time goes into product production

between meetings, briefings, and details. The speaker believes that he's

only working 30% capacity. Another analyst commented that his section

was totally overlooked for 5 years. Then there was a crisis and a new

emphasis and they added 5 bodies. Nevertheless, he is the only person

not eligible for details; the other 4 people in his shop work mission

about 30-40% of the time. About 25% of the time a job is done because

people are dedicated. Many people have high levels of personal

dedication and some will work double shifts to get a job done. The

commander's call overrides product production. They were told they were

"soldiers first", analysts second.

"Desks lamps would help me a hell of a lot. I could see better, but

there's no place to plug them in". They can't run an extension cord.

The computer system has been upgraded by the users feel it's slower and

less effective than before the upgrade. It'd be better if they'd spend

$400 on a cheap word processor - he could accomplish more.

Ergonomics are a disaster area. There are no manuals for any of the

systems in the area so you can't do preventative maintenance (even though

it's a requirement to so do). It is very rare to talk to the operator or

analyst in the design stage to determine” how equipment should work.

As for the environment, the MOD 40 printer in the center of the room is

used a lot but is very noisy. They could use a wall around it, or move

it. The way the terminals and computers are placed in the center of the

aisle, people bump into you. It is difficult to work properly. Space

and layout are critical needs. People need computer tables. The speaker

can only type for an hour before his wrists start to hurt because his

desk is too high. The lighting is "crappy". He could use a movable task

light. The positions (computers) are not movable, but should be on

wheels. This would allow more flexible working space. Space and

organization of space is very important. The operator area is very

congested. The floor tiles dip. They need an intercom to talk to each

person or an electronic mail system. (There is one but it doesn't work

for their terminals) . It is a one way communication system. The

analysts could be closer together in communication but so could the

operators. The different operator job classifications don't talk to each

others. They don't use their terminals for talking to each other.

Training is also an issue. The IC is limited. They tend to teach basics

rather than apply to the mission. The role of the IC representative is

unclear. He has gotten a personal friend to do some things. IC is

helpful for classes but not in figuring out how to do day-by-day tasks.

You have to do that on your own.

78
B.3 Transcript of Interviews at Berlin

B.3.1 Information Management Office

The speaker worked in secure environments before and comments about the

background music by indicating that people want variety. He understands

why there is a controlled environment, but his office has nothing in it

to preclude a window. "It's crazy. You go through a 700 mile semi-dark

corridor into a room with four metal walls. It's so oppressive!"

He has been in army automation for 18 years. At first he expected to

work at the leading edge of automation technology. It was 10-12 years

behind other army systems. For example, they are procuring a 4300 series

IBM - just been withdrawn from the market. Their latest system uses

machines in commercial use 15 years ago. "It takes 15 years to get

something in procurement"

.

As a technician it is frustrating; your ability to progress

professionally is retarded. You're not learning. He's the manager for a

support system which maintains a database for a particular operations.

It summarizes the day's activities and provides specific information.

The system is old and often down. When asked why it doesn't work, the

speaker notes that:

1) the memory capacity is too small;

2) its ability to support peripheral devices is too small (it can't

support enough terminals and enough locations to do the job; and

3) it's such an old piece of hardware that obtaining parts is an

"absolute nightmare". If it goes down, you're down for days and weeks

rather than hours

.

The system doesn't impact directly on the ability to collect information,

but the overall impact is unknown. He doesn't know what is missed because

he can't review historical logs. There is no comparable data within the

field station.

A second speaker provides mission software support. When this system

goes down, he hears about it and gets 1/2 hour notification. He must be

on site if can't get back up to respond. Scheduled outages are cancelled

as a function of the activity of the mission, so preventative maintenance

is difficult.

It takes 2-3 months to get people* confident enough to do limited things.

By and large he relies on on-the-job training. The job requires certain

experience, but this system is a very specialized application. There are

not many places to send people to get trained.

79
This system is being re-engineered one piece at a time. They have some

state of the art equipment, so they have the problem of trying to mix

equipment that's 20 years old with hardware developed last year.

Specialized interfaces are needed. Lengthy training is needed for a

person to feel competent; the frustration level gets higher without

training. After a while one develops intuition and expertise useful in

trouble shooting. It's not something that can be written down and

readily passed on to someone else. When asked to estimate the time needed

for proficiency, " A perfect example is a big system, for which the

contract was let in 1981-82, to be installed in 85. It was finally

installed in Dec 86, but they've run into so many problems in trying to

integrate technology that it will take almost 1-1/2 years to fix. It's

taken more time and effort than originally planned.

In the last 20 years people have learned to build systems that "talk to

one another, without jumping through hoops." Another speaker commented

that in 18 years he'd never seen that happen. "We have a computer room

with projected in to support basically same organization - 15 different

computer systems. They are intended to talk together eventually. Right

now 1-2 talk to each other. There is a great deal of need for

communication. An operator many need information from system Y but

system X won't talk to Y so he must find a terminal which supports Y. But

there are only five in the station so he must leave the operations area

and find it (and someone who knows how to use it)."

To get last year's data, he must run downstairs and get tape loaded

(again find someone to help). For example, an analyst writing a report

has collected the needed information and is writing a final report;

working aids range from hard copy to the computer system. Something is on

system Q and P which are connected back to headquarters. To get into the

local and headquarters data bases, the next nearest terminal is on

another floor, at least a five minute walk. Because it's such a hassle

to find a free terminal it often isn't done; and the quality of the

final report suffers. Historical data is on tape. To log on, he must

talk to a programmer to load a special tape if the data are older than

about 45 days. It could take 1-1/2 hours if you're lucky. But the

computer specialist is often working on a report. He can't waste 1-1/2

hours looking for the right tape. This destroys concentration (with

start up and wind down time) and so the frustration level is higher.

People have to know too many different automation procedures just to

access systems; passwords, operational systems, logons, etc. It is

impossible to learn all systems. Most master just the main one. It takes

an analyst 3-4 months to work the simplest system or 1-2 months to be

functional as long as someone is by them.

"I can't count the number of times I've had one of those kids come down

from upstairs interested in wanting to know a piece of information, but

had no idea how to get it from my system" , so he want to a different

80
system, couldn't find it, then went to a different system and had to find

another person. A person who has this experience very frequently just

gives up and doesn't try any more. It is a fairly common experience

which affects the quality of the work.

Most people come in with a 3 year tour. After 2 months they are

functional on the job; 4-5 months later they have mastered the system.

About that time they have heard about other systems, and say "I want to

see if these others are what I've heard about, and will help me do my

job". This individual will start going to other people and asking what

can I get from systems P,Q,Y, etc. This lasts for a 3-4 month period.

After about 1 year, they've experienced so much frustration that they

just quit looking. The best and most motivated people get very

frustrated. You find that people who've been here 18 months go back to

doing routine tasks. They do only what has to be done. They quit doing

anything extra or innovative - just fill out the forms and quit thinking.

An individual gets tired of climbing mountains. There are a few

exceptional individuals who have persevered and who can get on any system

and make it work."

"What would be a good system?" The speaker said "if we had only 1-2

vendors providing operating systems. It doesn't matter who they are. If

we just had 1-2 systems to learn instead of alphabet soup it would be a

big help." There is also a duplication of effort by operators inputting

information. In some cases, the information is put on magnetic tape.

"I've always had a hazy idea that operators should only enter data once

and that the computer should take care of re-entering data but the few

attempts at it have met with very few successes. You've got to make a

20-year old system talk to the new system and integrate all the different

machines. Even though there may be compatible hardware there isn't

compatible software." It took IBM 5 years to put the main system

together but many people have had to work extra hours developing a

tremendous amount of source code. There are currently 3 people

responsible for maintaining the system but even they can never learn it

all. It needs to be interfaced with the old system. "Do we have

hardware capability? There is frustration just in getting cables run. Do

we have the right I/O interfaces?"

"In generating specifications, many people are working out there. There

is no central office. Various project managers are on station but don't

have details. People in the states have no idea of what's useful. Lip

service is paid - they do site surveys but very few people even at the

field station are capable of doing capacity evaluation becafUse they have

very little automation background as far as system selection,

installation, capacity management are concerned. Also when given a

project it's one that somebody else has dreamt up and so the

interdependencies and relations get overlooked in INSCOM."

"Systems go out and procurement actions are slow. It may take 1 year in

planning, going to procurement, and to the RFP. The person who wins the

81
contract to build the system at his own facility - that takes another

year. So there's a minimum of 2-1/2 years before something shows up on

site and so it's obsolete by the time it reaches the site. It's been at

least 2-1/2 to 3 years after the idea was initiated. The people who had

the idea are gone by then. The momentum that caused thing to happen has

built up over 3 years. They bring something in to deal with the problem

of 3 years ago, but the problem size has increased. The work load has

double or shifted in another direction."

The current system affects the overall productivity and quality of the

product. If a person leaves after 3 years for another field station, and

sees same system , he could function immediately. He would have 3 years

of experience. As it is, people have it only if they request reassignment to the same field station. The experience won't be useful at

other field stations. The logistics systems now all run on Honeywell

systems so their people can move from place to place. "Our people are the

cream of the crop and are highly motivated and so make the real best of a

bad situation. The net effect, however, is that for every field station

tour a person is only productive for 2 of the 3 years. In a limited

number of instances field stations use the same equipment. This cuts down

on the learning curve. There is a need for people to be competent and

have on-going training. It is better to learn what the job is and then

learn how to use tools. This would allow more time to do the job and get

good at it. A good idea would be to develop an army automation MOS

within INSCOM, identify people with this MOS and keep them. Train people

on both army automation and mission system and not come in and out of it,

but stay with it.

The next speaker is an operator who processes verbal information. He

controls a tape (supplied by either an on-site tape recorder or a

computer) to which he listens, and types information. He uses an

equalizer to selectively filter out static. He comments that others don't

always use it. He tries not to turn the volume too high. He takes about

5 minutes to adjust the equipment to optimize the voice signal. He has

taught himself since he had no training on the equalizer; he believes it

to be very effective. It took 10-15 minutes to learn how to use the

equalizer. He received one day's of training on the main system, then was

on his own. Now he is comfortable with it.

B.3.2 Conversation with Analysts

The speaker reviews the final product; information collected, copied and

transcribed. He uses the keyboard and the main screen of the computer

system. He examines the content, abstracts highlights, and reports using

a standard format. He keys information into the computer; e.g.

priorities for raw material. The old machine was faster. He does 10-20

messages every 6 hours and the machine isn't fast enough. The processor

is down often; it drops information and locks up. It will destroy

information on the screen so they require backups (printouts). He often

has to rekey information and reboot once or twice per hour. This happens

82
frequently. With more traffic there is more strain on the equipment. He

falls behind and information is lost. A small message (30 min) may take

1-1/2 hour due to slow system. As a result, updates have to start an

hour early.

When the system goes down he must go upstairs to every system he's

responsible for (3 subsystems with 200 piece of information) and

handwrite material manually to find out what's happening. This can take

1-1/2 hour as opposed to 15 minutes on the computer. When the computer

is broken, he can't work. There are 3 backup systems so that he can

physically type in on the old mod 40'

s

when the main system is down. He

enjoys the new system because he can now write two things at once since

he has the split screen function. He finds that two splits are very

adequate (although 3 screens might be helpful)

.

B.3.3 Interviews with Operators

In starting a shift, the operator must check out what's going on and

learn about activity. The operator on duty will brief him. They monitor

with two receivers - punch buttons, look for pattern fit. He lowers the

volume until he can't hear and then raises it. He can talk to people

elsewhere with a microphone on his headphone and copy information using a

keyboard at the same time. He can do it quickly unless the target is

difficult. Usually he can copy and listen at the same time. When asked

"Do you turn up the volume to find the signal?" Answer "Naw, that don't

help at all - that just increases the noise". He has to use the

equipment functions to center the target. This job is all listening.

Rather than increase the gain, he uses bandwith filters.

The amount of space is a problem. They have a table with limited room.

They also have to work with equipment in the center of the room. When

someone hears a noise, he runs over and checks the equipment. The

closest person runs over. The team chief is responsible. Somebody else

will transcribe his information.

The chair problem at Kunia exists elsewhere. There is a battle of chair

changes at shift change. It's a dynamic struggle. The chairs break

easily, and the backs come off so that the operators are sitting on a

stool with a stub sticking up that jabs them in the back. The last man

in gets that chair until it's shuffled off. Are they adjustable?

They're supposed to be, but not all work. Parts are frozen, gears are

stripped so you can't change the height.

A new speaker comments that new systems are coming on line. Timeliness

and duplication of efforts are a real problem. There is often a need to

re-enter information in 4-5 places. It's insane to have to rekey in 4

extra places. There are different keyboards, etc. No continuity.

Response times vary for each system with 6-10 sec response times 10-20

times an hour. It causes major problems for the operators and introduces

the potential for errors, particularly with fatigue and inexperience. An

83
operation that took 3-5 minutes with the old system would take 29 minutes

to process with the new system because of mind-boggling slowness and

repetition. Operators spend so much time manipulating the systems that

they can't do work. They need to learn data processing. The keyboards

are all different. They need 3-4 weeks training to do the job with each

new system. Numerous displays are possible yet they need only a small

percentage of them. They need some automation to indicate presence of a

signal and to return to a previously identified signal.

Problems experienced by operators include response times that are so long

they make the equipment unusable. Timing budgets are clearly not met.

Two seconds is desirable but they're getting 120 sec with the worst case

scenario approaching 30 min. The intention is to automate functions but

the effect is duplication and long response times - longer than old

system.

People don't talk to each other about the need for system interaction.

This is a major problem. There is a need to record lost productivity due

to it. Occupant comfort is a big problem on the third floor. Operators

are exposed to freezing temperatures. One system with a directed air

flow had overheating problems. They tried enclosing the equipment to

increase operator comfort but this didn't work because the equipment

overheated. They finally put holes in the equipment to keep it from

failing. Operators wear field jackets, gloves, sweaters, etc, because of

the cold. Many stresses exist due to both equipment and environmental

problems

.

84
ftS.mA (REV. 2-ac> g.s. DEPT. OP COMM.

BIBLIOGRAPHIC DATA

SH EET (Sec instructions)

1. PUBLICATION OR

REPORT NO.

NBS IR 88^3827

3. Publication Date

AUGUST 1988

4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE

Evaluation of Environmental Conditions at Selected US Army Field

Stations and Suggestions for Improvements

5. AUTHOR(S)

Arthur 1. Rubin and Belinda L» Collins

6. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION (If joint or other than NBS, see instructions) 7. Contract/ Grant No.

NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

GAITHERSBURG, MD 20899

Se SPONSORING ORGANIZATION NAME AND COMPLETE ADDRESS (Street, City. S ZIP)

US Army Intelligence and Security Command

Arlington Hall Station

Arlington, VA 22212-5000

I. Type of Report & Period Covered

10.

SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES

| ~\ Document describes a computer program; SF-185, FIPS Software Summary, Is attached.

11.

ABSTRACT (A 200-word or less factual summary of most significant information. If document includes a significant

bibliography or literature survey, mention it here

)

In response to concerns expressed by headquarters INSCOM, a detailed evaluation of

environmental conditions in U.S. Army field stations was undertaken. In the present

report, findings and recommendations are given based on interviews with station personn

questionnaire responses from over 600 people in three job types (operator, analyst, and

administrative/other), extensive measurements of physical conditions, and carefu

observations of a host of representative activities. Three field stations were eval

uated: Kunia, Augsburg, and Berlin. The findings confirm the concerns expressed by

headquarters INSCOM; namely, field station personnel perform their jobs under conditions likely to impair their effectiveness. These include poor thermal, lighting, an

acoustic conditions, as well as furnishings such as chairs and desks in very poor

repair, equipment that is dysfunctional, and general lack of regular maintenance m

the facilities. Suggestions for improving conditions in the facilities are presente .

12.

KEY WORDS (Six to twelve entries; alphabetical order; capitalize only proper names; and separate key words by semicolons)

Environmental assessment, comfort, glare, lighting, noise, post-occupanoyy evaluation,

temperature. VDT’s

13.

AVAILABILITY

fin Unlimited

| | For Official Distribution. Do Not Release to NTIS

1—

|

Order From Superintendent of Documents. U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C.

20402.

I 3$ Order From National Technical Information Service (NTIS), Springfield, VA. 22161

14. NO. OF

PRINTED PAGES

97

15. Price

$13 .95

u S COMM- D C 6043-P80
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