safety

Many manufacturers design a product first, then attempt to “fix” the design later to meet the applicable safety standard. Prior knowledge of the applicable safety standard and its requirements for the product will help meet deadlines, keep design costs down, and result in a properly designed product.

Up until now there’s been much emphasis on designing to make a product “idiot proof”. This has provided some benefit, but what Usability Engineering is reminding us is that it is the designers who are sometimes viewed as idiots by the users. It is the users who are the experts (in usability).

The Indian Road Transport Ministry has begun the process of creating standards for automobile safety, called the New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP). Test facilities are also being built to perform these tests throughout the country.

The European Commission released two updates to toy safety standards that will affect U.S. toy manufacturers and distributors exporting their products into Europe.