產業設備的人機界面對工業安全衛生的影響評估與改善對策

Evaluation and Improvement of Human -- Machine Interface Design for Industrial Safety and Hygiene

在職業災害的事故原因分析中，往往將引起職業災害的原因判定為：不安全動作、不安全環境等因素。在這些職業災害的案例中，是否所謂不安全動作、不安全環境就是真正引起職業災害的基本原因？或是這些不安全動作、不安全環境只是我們所觀察到的表面現象，而另有一些原因才是真正致使職業災害發生的深層原因？在本研究中，從人因工程的角度去探討不當的人機界面設計與職業災害的因果關係，也就是研究職業災害的發生是否可能是因為產業設備之人機界面設計不當而造成不安全環境，致使操作人員做出不安全動作，或使操作人員在疲勞、分心的狀況下操作錯誤，或因按鈕間距太小而誤觸開關等。計畫研究的方向分為兩部份，即產業設備設計製造廠商及曾發生職災的產業設備使用廠商，後者主要是金屬基本工業和金屬製品製造業。藉由這兩部分現況的訪視調查分析，以了解：（1）目前產業設備製造廠商對產品安全及人機界面在設計時所考慮的狀況，與（2）產業設備使用廠商職災案例中，是否可能肇因於人機界面設計不當的情況？是否嚴重？及一般業者設備上人機界面設計缺失的分析。研究的結果發現國內較大的八家產業設備製造廠商對人機界面的安全設計頗為陌生，所設計出的內銷產品亦未特別加以考慮；但卻能參考國外產品設計或安全標準設計製造其外銷產品，並符合歐洲單一市場的嚴格安全標準。從產業設備使用廠商職災案例中，發現個案例的人機界面均有安全設計上的缺失，且與事故的發生有密切的關聯，不當的人機界面很明顯會立即引起危險的或錯誤的操作。若以工作生理學或人因工程的角度來看，有些狀況在長期持續操作後，極可能對勞工衛生會有不良影響。訪視的結果還發現大部分業者的安全意識、改善意願及改善能力均有待加強。文末針對所發現的缺失，提出改善之建議。

In analyzing the causes of an accident, it is not unusual that unsafe actions and unsafe environment are blamed on. However, are unsafe actions and unsafe environment the real and root causes of accidents? Or, these ‘causes’ are observed superficial phenomena with some other more essential causes hidden deeply behind the screen. In this study, the relationship of inadequate human-machine interface designs and occupational accidents was investigated from the viewpoint of human factors and ergonomics. The purpose is to find out whether industrial accidents are caused by unsafe actions performed by operators in an unsafe environment which is equipped with inadequate human-machine interface designs on its manufacturing facilities. Two industrial sectors, the facility designers/manufacturers, and the factories which have had higher occupational in juries, were investigated. The latter contained basic metal industry and fabricated metal products industry. By visiting these parties, the following information was collected and was analyzed: (1)the facility designers/manufacturers ‘human-machine interface design and safety consideration; (2)the adequacy of human-machine interface designs involved in the occupational injury cases. The results show the eight big facility designers/manufacturers are unfamiliar with human-machine interface and safety design. Though their products for the domestic market do not take much safety into consideration, by learning from foreign machine designs and standards, those for European market may meet the rigid safety requirements and standards enforced by European Community. Form injury cases studied, it was found that the human-machine interfaces in questions were inappropriate and were responsible for the injuries. In some cases, it is found that from work physiology and human factors points of view, the adverse chronic effects to the operators may energy if the inappropriate human-machine interfaces are used for a time long enough. It is also found that the safety and hygiene concepts, senses, willingness and the capability of making improvements in these industries are to be strengthened. Recommendations are provided in this report.