Human Factors for Naval Marine Vehicle Design and Operation

'This is a great book. Why? Because ... it addresses the cause of many design and operational failures; ... it fills a gap, being the first to cover broadly the issue of human factors for ships; ... it is well written, explaining complex, diverse disciplines in a highly readable way. The author is to be congratulated for the publication of this book.' Volker Bertram, Germanischer Lloyd AG, Germany 'This book fills a niche and belongs as a reference in every naval architect's library, and it probably belongs on the desk of every human factor specialist working in the maritime business as well. While there are many books on naval architecture and ship design and just as many on human factors, this is quite likely the only book of its kind that speaks to the naval architect or marine engineer about human factors and to the human factor specialist about the elements of ship design.' Marine Technology, July 2009 'In naval operations, as in all forms of transportation, human error is cited approximately 80% of the time as the cause or contributing factor in accidents and incidents. A human-centered design approach to naval architecture and marine engineering is essential to improve human performance and safety in marine operations. This book is an excellent step in that direction. In this era of reduced crew size and increased automation, the role of human operators is changing to one of supervisory control. Humans are not inherently good at tasks requiring vigilance and supervisory control. Mr. Ross identifies many human factors issues that will help the naval architect and marine engineer to design marine vehicles that are more effective, efficient, and safer. This book would be an excellent textbook for students of ship design and maritime operations. It bridges the longstanding gap between two disciplines - naval architecture and human factors. Since World War II, the primary focus for human factors has been in aviation. A book like this one is long overdue. 'Human Factors for Naval Marine Vehicle Design and Operation offers an excellent discussion of the importance and process of incorporating human factors into ship design from an application-oriented perspective. The book, suitable for a wide audience, discusses issues relevant to the acquisitions community, operators and maintainers.' Ergonomics in Design, Fall 2010

Jonathan M. Ross is Manager of Proteus Engineering Department of Alion Science and Technology, where he provides consultancy services, mainly to naval customers. He holds an MSE in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering from the University of Michigan and is a registered Professional Engineer (US) as well as a Chartered Engineer (UK). He gained operational naval experience in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans on a submarine, bathyscaphe and nuclear submarine tender. He has written and presented more than thirty technical papers in the US and internationally on human factors, computer-aided ship design, the environmentally sound warship, condition-based maintenance, and cost estimation.

Contents: Foreword; Preface; Introduction; Marine vehicle types; Marine vehicles by function; Marine vehicle limitations and solutions; Symptomatic areas of concern; Human stressors; Human-machine interface; Human factors enhancement; Design considerations; Future trends; Appendices; References; Index.