A Qualitative Study of the Correlation Between Human Factors and Design Hazards in Consumer Products
Authors
Kendall Thomas Cotton, Taylor James Landry, Adam Andrew Morehouse
Sponsor
United States Consumer Product Safety Commission
Advisors
James Hanlan, David DiBiasio
Term
October – December 2013
Project Outcomes
Abstract
This project examined the underlying trends in consumer product defects—specifically, trends pertaining to human factors—for the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). The team conducted archival research of Product Safety Assessments (PSAs), internal interviews of CPSC staff, and discussions with industry representatives. As a result of the research, the team recommends that the CPSC generate a handbook for both internal and external use. The handbook will inform external users about the importance of integrating human factors into product design. Internally, the handbook will encourage increased awareness of the importance of human factors in product design. The team made additional recommendations to improve the utility of CPSC’s internal databases.