Swanwick Air Traffic Control Centre
National Air Traffic Services
Background
The New En-route Control centre, near Southampton in England, was designed to take advantage of computer-based innovations to provide new levels of sophistication in managing increasing volumes of air movements. In parallel with the innovative technology, the programme planners wished to create a modern, attractive working environment to reflect the advanced systems being introduced.
The centre, now known as the NATS Swanwick Centre entered operational service in 2002 with the switch of operations from West Drayton.
Project
The project presented the CCD ergonomics and design team with key challenges created by project constraints:
- The building was in the final phase of construction, so floor space to accommodate the workstations could not be extended.
- Workstation width was limited to 1.2 metres, otherwise the required number of workstations could not be accommodated.
- Terminal equipment on the workstations was fixed and included a single 20" x 20" display.
- A demountable board, in which flight strips could be displayed, had to be easily introduced on the workstation as back-up should the main computer system fail.
In carrying out their ergonomic design process, the CCD team had to accommodate the compromises imposed by these major constraints without falling foul of ergonomics good practice or health & safety requirements.
Implementation
Given these constraints, the options for arranging primary items of equipment were limited. The large screen would require close scrutiny, as operators would rely on it to control aircraft within their airspace. The only acceptable location for the LCD communications panel which would meet both reach and viewing requirements, was on an upstand between the worksurface and the vertical panel housing the large displays. The conflict lay between a shallower angle, which made the display less distinct, and a steeper angle which improved display visibility but raised the height of the large VDU making it more difficult to search its entire area. User trials were conducted to determine an acceptable, and safe, compromise - the aim being to ensure that characters and colours could be clearly seen by the operator in both erect and relaxed seated positions.
The overall workstation design was tested at both concept design and prototype stages. Air traffic controllers participated in full-scale trials to assess visibility of displays, access to controls and the use of temporary flight-strip holders.
The design team concluded that the heavy 20" x 20" display needed special treatment. Since no maintenance of these units would take place at the workstations, they would need to be removed to maintenance bays safely and without damage. It was clear that lifting the units out of the workstation was not practical. The solution adopted was to support the display on a purpose-built trolley which would dock inside the console. In this way the units could be properly protected and any manual handling dangers eliminated. The design of the trolley was based around full-scale mock-up trials which tested all aspects of insertion, docking and removal from the workstation.
The workstation design had to incorporate flexibility for use in a variety of different functions and combinations. This requirement was met through a modular design. The approach of an aluminium frame with fibreglass cladding created a flexible, lightweight but very strong carcass into which control equipment could be fitted.
The design also successfully passed critical fire and overheating tests. The project required that any individual workstation could contain a live fire without catching alight or igniting adjacent workstations. In a further test a prototype workstation was soak-tested with a full complement of equipment in an overheated space with the internal workstation hot air extraction system switched off.
Workstation finishes took account of practical ergonomics considerations as well as aesthetic requirements. The darker tone writing surfaces were selected to minimise contrasts between flight strips and other paperwork. The lighter colours of the main body of the workstation aimed to minimise the impression of bulk with the green line further breaking up the massing of the sector groups. The overall impression created by the CCD team is one of ‘openness' and light - a dramatic change from previous generations of air traffic control centre.
Outcomes
The project delivered an operational control room measuring over 2,000 square meters - half the size of a Premier league football pitch, larger than 10 tennis courts, and three times the size of the room it replaced.
This flagship control centre now controls over 200,000 square miles of airspace above England and Wales and handles up to 6,000 flights each day. The contribution of ergonomic design to this highly successful operation is now widely recognised.
For more information
Further information on the London Area Control Centre can be found at www.nats.co.uk/text/80/london_area_control_centre.html
For more on the work of air traffic control providers in Europe, click on: www.eurocontrol.int