Human Factors and Behavioral Science: Human Factors Engineering for the Loop Plant

The installation, testing, operation, and maintenance of the Loop Plant (the customer cable network) requires the full-time employment of some 150,000 outside plant and central office craftspeople--a significant portion of the total Bell System craft work force. An important element of the human factors work in the Loop Transmission Division is knowing the characteristics of the craftspeople and their tasks so that we may supply engineers with human factors criteria for the design of loop apparatus and systems. The published literature on anthropometrics, biomechanics, human factors, and applied psychology is, of course, a valuable resource. * Bell Laboratories. ®Copyright 1983, American Telephone & Telegraph Company. Copying in printed form for private use is permitted without payment of royalty provided that each reproduction is done without alteration and that the Journal reference and copyright notice are included on the first page. The title and abstract, but no other portions, of this paper may be copied or distributed royalty free by computer-based and other informationservice systems without further permission. Permission to reproduce or republish any other portion of this paper must be obtained from the Editor.