suppliers, etc, have to provide adequate information with machines likely to cause noise exposures of 85 dB(A) or more. The above duties also apply if the peak sound pressure reaches 200 pascals (140 dB re 20/aPa), though in such situations exposure over the working day will usually also exceed 90 dB(A).

The Noise at Work Regulations 1989, SI 1989 No 1790, ISBN 0 11 097790 4, is available from HMSO and booksellers, price £1.65.

Directory of consultants The Human Factors Society recently

published the first edition of its Directory o f Human Factors/ Ergonomics Consultants, an 8~A x 11 inch (216 x 279 mm), 80-page booklet listing 113 individuals and nine companies that offer consulting services in the field of human factors/ ergonomics. Among the areas of specialisation mentioned by the individuals and company contacts are forensics, computer systems, work- station design, training, safety, product safety/design, human performance, and transportation systems. Listings may contain the following information: the consultant 's or company's name and address, educational background, supplemental background information, and a description of consulting expertise/experience. The directory also contains a name index, geographical index, and general specialty area index. Inclusion in the directory is contingent on full membership in the Society. Companies are required to list a mini- mum of three Full Members on staff.

The directory may be purchased from the Society at the postpaid member price of $20.00 or the non- member price of $35.00. Mastercard or VISA orders are welcomed by phone, or send prepayment by cheque.

For more information or to order, write or call the Society at PO Box 1369, Santa Monica, CA 90406; (213) 394-1811 or 394-9793, or fax (213) 394-2410.

Managing health at work The Health and Safety Executive

(HSE) has issued two free leaflets, Need advice on occupational health ? and Working with health problems, for employers to assist them when faced with an employee or job applicant with a health problem. The Executive has also published more detailed guidance in the booklet Health aspects of job placement and rehabilitation, which expands on some of the issues raised in the leaflets. These publications have been issued as part of the Health and Safety Com- mission and Executive's action pro- gramme to improve occupational health and are in addition to an earlier free leaflet and guidance booklet on occupational health needs issued by the HSE in April 1988.

These publications, IND/G 61L Working with health problems, and IND/G 74L Need advice on occupational health?, are obtainable free from area offices of the HSE's Employment Medical Advisory Service or from Enquiry Points: Sheffield 0742 752539; Bootie 051 951 4381 and London 01-243 0870. MS 23 Health aspects of job placement and rehabilitation, ISBN No0 11 885419 4, price: £2.25, is available from HMSO or booksellers.

Robotics research The National Advanced Robotics

Research Centre has been awarded a project sub-contract worth nearly £35,000 to undertake an investigation

into man-machine interface (MMI) design and evaluation for the European Space Agency. The contract has been placed with the National Centre's operations and management company Advanced Robotics Research Ltd (ARRL) by a United Kingdom consortium consisting of British Aero- space and the UK Atomic Energy Authority at Culham. The contract -- the third in a series of ESA contracts to be awarded to the UK consortium - concerns the development of MMI

technologies for the teleoperation of robotic manipulators in Low Earth Orbit from ground- or space-station- based command and control centres.

ARRL's element of the project will be led by Robert J. Stone, the recently appointed Project Manager for Sensors, World Modelling, and MMI Studies. He joined ARRL in May, having previously been Technical Manager for the BAe- UKAEA consortium. At that time, the consortium had just completed the second of the ESA studies to develop and build a European Telerobotic Test Bed for delivery to ESA's Research and Technology Centre at Noordwijk in Holland. Prior to delivery, a series of human factors experiments were carried out using trained subjects to evaluate a range of joystick, TV and information display facilities for the efficient and safe control of robotic manipulators in the regime of Earth- to-space communications time delays.

The third study will involve further human factors investigations of new MMI technologies for the Test Bed,, including speech recognition, stereo TV, predictor and other graphic d~splays.

More information from Dr Bryan Lindley or Mr Bob Stone at Advanced Robotics Research Ltd, University Road, Salford M5 4PP, UK (061-745 7384; Fax 061-745 8264).

328 Applied Ergonomics December 1989