Bus route and destination displays making it easier to read.

To enhance bus use for all passengers an inclusive approach to information provision needs to be adopted. To this end research was undertaken to identify improvements to display design which would be of benefit to all passengers. Members of the public participated in the research including people with a range of visual impairments including Macular Degeneration, Glaucoma, Retinitis Pigmentosa and Cataracts. The different forms of display technology were assessed under day and night conditions in terms of reading distances, reading time and viewing angles as well as participant opinions

The safety benefit of retro-reflective markings on HGVs and buses: partial RIA – preliminary report.

The objective of the measure is to reduce death and serious injury resulting from collisions involving large vehicles. This will be achieved by making these vehicles more conspicuous to other road users, especially at night. This assessment estimates the costs and benefits associated with the proposal that hazard markings consistent with UNECE R104 should be required for all new heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) and buses under Regulation 48. The assessment considers commercial vehicles exceeding 3.5, 7.5 and 12 tonnes and on all new buses and coaches fitted with more than 22 passenger seats. The assessment was undertaken as a preparatory activity prior to formal consultation with relevant stakeholders

Older people's experiences of their kitchens: 2000 to 2010

Purpose – This paper aims to present the quantitative results based on a comparison and evaluation of older people's experiences, needs and wants from their current kitchens, combining and comparing the results obtained from two studies conducted in 2000 and 2010 to see what progress has been made. Design/methodology/approach – A study in 2010 investigated the life-long and contemporary experiences of kitchens of 48 people aged over 60 years of age. The research included detailed questionnaire interviews asking people about their experiences of living in their current kitchen. A previous study, conducted in 2000, asked many of the same questions of 22 people in the same age group. Findings – By combining and comparing the two sets of data it seems that only limited progress has been made in terms of kitchen design meeting the needs of older people between 2000 and 2010. Research limitations/implications – Owing to the small sizes of the samples it is not possible to compare the figures statistically or present them as fully representative of the British older population but while the two samples are limited both had similar characteristics of age and gender, so differences do show potential trends over time. Practical implications – The research refers to guidance and a computer based design tool and identifies a number of practical implications for design. Social implications – As people age their abilities and needs can change and their kitchen may no longer be as accessible or appropriate to their needs. Originality/value – This paper adds to the relevant guidance for designers, developers and managers of buildings where the continued personal use of a kitchen is important for continuing independence of older people

End user engagement with domestic hot water heating systems: design implications for future thermal storage technologies

The strategies used by householders for heating and using hot water heating have a significant impact on energy consumption in domestic buildings. A better understanding of the interaction between occupants and hot water heating systems can improve the energy efficiency of a building. This paper maps the interaction between occupants and their current domestic hot water heating systems to provide insights for the design of future thermal energy storage systems. A total of 35 householders from the Midlands region of the UK took part in semi-structured contextual interviews about their current strategies for the provision of hot water and the way they engage with their heating systems. Using the DNAs framework as an analysis lens, drivers, needs and actions relating to the provision of hot water were evaluated and four distinct hot water heating types are presented: On Demand, For All Eventualities, Just Enough and Sunny Days. Findings provide insights into occupants’ behaviour in relation to hot water heating usage and design implications for thermal energy storage technologies

Checking the checklist: the effect of training on the application and effectiveness of checklist-based risk assessments

This report details a programme of research undertaken on behalf of IOSH and intended to investigate the critical factors which control the effectiveness of checklist-based risk assessments. Through five research phases, partner companies from UK manufacturing industries provided case examples of current practice and a resource of participants to conduct user trials. An extensive literature review revealed that previous research had focussed on the effectiveness and reliability of checklists in risk assessment. However, very little research had been conducted in assessing the effectiveness of the actual design of checklists and the level of accompanying training that is required to ensure they are used correctly. A questionnaire survey of 88 companies of more than five employees revealed the state of current practice and a wide diversity of resources and application of safety practices. From these companies 15 were selected to undertake an in-depth walk through involving a site inspection, interviews with Health and Safety professionals and an audit of the health and safety practices. From the audited companies four were selected to take part in user trials involving the provision and evaluation of control checklists and accompanying training. This provided a large data set which could be scrutinised to identify the effective features of checklists and the benefits training may offer. The results reveal a complex picture with numerous confounding influences. Specific features of checklists and training offer benefits in some circumstances and limitations in others. A lack of clear patterns suggests that the high degree of variability in companies and staff make prescriptive solutions unreliable as safety interventions. Recommendations are made for assessing the content of checklists but reservations remain over the effectiveness of a single solution for use in any specific company

Assessment of the safety benefit of retro reflective markings on HGVs and buses.

Assessment of the safety benefit of retro reflective markings on HGVs and buses

The Home Environment Interview and associations with energy balance behaviours and body weight in school-aged children - a feasibility, reliability, and validity study.

BACKGROUND: The home environment is thought to influence children's weight trajectories. However, few studies utilise composite measures of the home environment to examine associations with energy balance behaviours and weight. The present study aimed to adapt and update a comprehensive measure of the obesogenic home environment previously developed for pre-schoolers, and explore associations with school-aged children's energy balance behaviours and weight. METHODS: Families from the Gemini cohort (n = 149) completed the Home Environment Interview (HEI) via telephone when their children were 12 years old. The HEI comprises four composite scores: one for each domain (food, activity and media) of the environment, as well as a score for the overall obesogenic home environment. The primary caregiver also reported each child's height and weight (using standard scales and height charts), diet, physical activity and sedentary screen-based behaviours. A test-retest sample (n = 20) of caregivers completed the HEI a second time, 7-14 days after the initial interview, to establish test-retest reliability. RESULTS: Children (n = 298) living in 'higher-risk' home environments (a 1 unit increase in the HEI obesogenic risk score) were less likely to consume fruits (OR; 95% CI = 0.40; 0.26-0.61, p < 0.001), and vegetables (0.30; 0.18-0.52, p < 0.001), and more likely to consume energy-dense snack foods (1.71; 1.08-2.69, p = 0.022), convenience foods (2.58; 1.64-4.05, p < 0.001), and fast foods (3.09; 1.90-5.04, p < 0.001). Children living in more obesogenic home environments also engaged in more screen-time (β (SE) = 4.55 (0.78), p < 0.001), spent more time playing video games (β (SE) = 1.56 (0.43), p < 0.001), and were less physically active (OR; 95% CI = 0.57; 0.40-0.80, p < 0.01). Additionally, there was a positive association between higher-risk overall home environment composite score and higher BMI-SDS (β (SE) = 0.23 (0.09), p < 0.01). This finding was mirrored for the home media composite (β (SE) = 0.12 (0.03), p < 0.001). The individual home food and activity composite scores were not associated with BMI-SDS. CONCLUSION: Findings reveal associations between the overall obesogenic home environment and dietary intake, activity levels and screen-based sedentary behaviours, as well as BMI in 12 year olds. These findings suggest that the home environment, and in particular the home media environment, may be an important target for obesity prevention strategies

Using a scenario-based methodology to assess users' requirements for future thermal energy storage systems

Using a scenario-based methodology to assess users' requirements for future thermal energy storage system

Kitchen Living in Later Life: <i>Exploring Ergonomic Problems, Coping Strategies and Design Solutions</i>

The kitchen is an important area in the home serving many purposes both functional and social. It is central to enabling people to stay within their own homes in their later life. As part of a detailed study of ‘past’ and ‘present’ kitchen living, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 48 older people about their current kitchen and how well it met their needs. It was found that personal problems with reaching, bending, dexterity and sight were more likely to be experienced with increasing age while for specific tasks, ironing and cleaning created the most difficulty. The paper reports on coping strategies and simple innovations made by the participants to address the problems they experienced. A challenge for kitchen designers, manufacturers and installers is to think in terms of kitchens that are more flexible and adaptable to people’s changing needs

Short term (14 days) consumption of insoluble wheat bran fibre-containing breakfast cereals improves subjective digestive feelings, general wellbeing and bowel function in a dose dependent manner

This study investigated whether increasing insoluble (predominantly wheat bran) fibre over 14 days improves subjective digestive feelings, general wellbeing and bowel function. A single centre, multi-site, open, within subjects design with a 14 day non-intervention (baseline) monitoring period followed by a 14 day fibre consumption (intervention) period was performed. 153 low fibre consumers (<15 g/day AOAC 985.29) completed a daily symptom diary for 14 days after which they consumed one bowl of ready-to-eat breakfast cereal containing at least 5.4 g fibre (3.5 g from wheat bran) for 14 days and completed a daily symptom diary. Significant improvements were demonstrated in subjective perception of bowel function (e.g., ease of defecation) and digestive feelings (bloating, constipation, feeling sluggish and digestive discomfort). Significant improvements were also found in subjective perception of general wellbeing (feeling less fat, more mentally alert, slim, happy and energetic whilst experiencing less stress, mental and physical tiredness, difficulty concentrating and fewer headaches). In general, improvements in study outcomes increased with increasing cereal/fibre consumption. However, consuming an additional minimum 5.4 g of fibre (3.5 g wheat bran) per day was shown to deliver measurable and significant benefits for digestive health, comfort and wellbeing. Encouraging consumption of relatively small amounts of wheat bran could also provide an effective method of increasing overall fibre consumption