Let Us Craft a Control Room Tailored Just for Your Organization!
In the industry of control rooms, where operators monitor and manage critical information during long shifts, optimizing their effectiveness becomes paramount. At Vistacom, we work closely with end users to create bespoke control room solutions, and in all of our installations, ergonomics and operator experience take center stage.
In this blog, we delve into the most essential aspect of control room design—ergonomics—and how it can help you create an efficient and productive control room space. Take a look!
SEE ALSO: Control Room Efficiency: Personal vs. Common Operational Pictures
Is an Ergonomic Design Really That Important?
Control room operators endure extensive hours analyzing data and making real-time decisions. Ensuring their workstations are comfortable and user-friendly is pivotal to preventing issues such as eye strain, muscle fatigue, and headaches, which can later lead to staff shortage and turnover. A key element in achieving operator efficiency is properly positioning displays, reducing physical strain, and facilitating seamless multitasking.
Configuring Your Control Room for Efficiency
Effectively balancing furniture, technology, and other operator essentials is the backbone of any well-designed control room. From chairs to consoles to articulating arms for holding PCs, every item is carefully chosen and customized to fit each control room’s specific requirements.
At Vistacom, we partner with leading brands such as Evans, Winstead, and Concept Seating to create a custom-tailored configuration according to the end user’s needs. Whether it’s a high-stress 911 operation center or a dispatch center, our team ensures that the control room has the right number of PCs, an appropriately sized video wall, the ideal layout, and more. This attention to detail prevents inefficiencies and helps operators perform at their best.
Enhancing Sightlines for Optimal Operator Comfort
When designing control room console setups, it is essential to consider the operator’s primary viewing angle and sightlines. The conventional side-by-side setup, with monitors aligned parallel to each other, might be commonplace, but it may not be the most ergonomic or productive arrangement. Often, the operator has to turn their head to view different displays, leading to potential discomfort and fatigue.
But don’t worry! Our experts can help you explore alternative configurations that fit better with your control room application. In mission-critical control rooms, operators often manage multiple displays and large video wall displays with critical data visualizations. To optimize operator comfort in such scenarios, a central tenet is to have a primary screen directly in the operator’s optimal field of view.
For example, in setups with six monitors, the middle two screens can serve as primary displays, while the outer four are designated for peripheral data. This strategic arrangement allows operators to maintain optimal sightlines, whether they are seated or standing, maximizing their efficiency and ability to manage vast amounts of data effectively.
Working Together Is Key!
At Vistacom, we believe that collaboration is essential for a good conference room design. Not only with our partners but with you as well! This ensures your control room is truly tailored to your needs and successfully meets your workflow and operational demands. If you are ready to let a team of experts help you enhance your control room design, contact us right here.
We look forward to hearing from you!
