One of the best examples of Human Factors Engineering is seen daily when driving… street signs. We all know a STOP sign when we see one. It may be the most recognized sign in all advanced societies. Did you know that at least 35 countries use a red octagon as their stop sign?
But imagine if some local town decided that they wanted to make their STOP signs:
- Round,
- Green,
- Black lettering, and
- 12″ circumference
What do we think would happen to safety at intersections in this town? Imagine if every city made their STOP signs a different shape, size, and color – how practical would this approach be in managing safety at intersections? Imagine if they made this change without informing existing drivers or training new drivers. Do we think we would see increased accidents at intersections with these new STOP signs?
Imagine your son or daughter runs through one of these intersections, and the local police issue them a ticket for failing to stop at a STOP sign. What would your response be? Remember, you don’t even recognize the new/different stop sign. Here is my HFE presentation, using street signs and OSHA/ANSI safety signs to demonstrate how HFE is used to limit confusion and variability in the safety actions the sign(s) intend to provoke.