Research On Subway Dispatchers' Workload Based On Task Analysis

Subway dispatcher is the commanding center of the urban rail traffic, and a key factor of restrictions to region capacity. A rational evaluation of subway dispatchers'workload plays an important role in ensuring rail traffic safety and efficiency. Combining theory with reality, the paper carries on an intensive research on the subway dispatchers'workload and region capacity evaluation. It focuses on the construction of a workload evaluation model based on the dispatching task in consideration of the environment of the rail traffic. It also helps grip with the dispatchers'workload at any time, ensure dispatchers'work ability and operational safety, scientifically evaluate region capacity and reasonably control traffic flow, and then provides foundation for human resources allocation of subway operation companies and the traffic flow control. The main works are as follows:First of all, it sets up an evaluation model of subway dispatchers'workload after the reasonable definition of subway dispatchers'workload according to the characteristics of dispatching. It carries on in-depth research that factors which affect the subway dispatchers'workload. Through comparison of different workload research methods, it seeks the strategy to evaluate subway dispatchers'workload.Secondly, it conducts a detailed analysis on dispatching task by using the hieratical task analysis method. It draws up the task coding dictionary and builds up a subway dispatchers'information processing model to describe dispatchers'perceiving process effectively. It picks up task unit and produce task implementation sequences which establish relationships between task unit and operation unit.Thirdly, considering of the urgent time of task, it puts forward a method suitable for subway dispatchers'workload evaluation after intensive task analysis. It then sets up a quantizing evaluation model for subway dispatchers'workload. Taking Shanghai Subway Line 1 as the research background, it undergoes a quantizing evaluation by using the method based on time research, and verified the workload model by using the subjective evaluation method and the physiological measurement method simultaneously to show that the validity of the model and feasibility of the evaluation method.At last, it introduces the concept of region capacity for safety based on the operational characteristics of subway. It adopts the method of multiple linearity regress to calculate the region capacity. It also develops the evaluation system of subway dispatchers'workload to realize the automation of workload evaluation and forecast.The research shows that the evaluation model of key factors to affect subway dispatchers'workload set up in the paper can pick up the main factors to affect workload, tally with the dispatchers'subjective feeling, and be correspondent with the operational characteristics of subway. The workload model can evaluate the subway dispatchers'workload index at any time and reflect the change of dispatchers'work condition, to prove that the feasibility of the method of evaluating dispatchers'workload based on the task analysis. The method to confirm the region capacity based on workload limit is suiTable The region capacity calculated by multiple linearity regress equation provides a scientific support to traffic flow management and will improve the driving safety.