ISO 10075-1:2017

Overview

ISO 10075-1:2017 - Ergonomic principles related to mental workload - Part 1 defines the core concepts, terms and relationships used in the domain of mental workload. The standard clarifies the distinction between mental stress (external influences affecting a person mentally) and mental strain (the immediate effect of that stress on an individual), documents short‑ and long‑term, positive and negative consequences of strain, and explains how these concepts relate. In ISO 10075-1 mental workload is treated as an umbrella term (not a technical definition) referring collectively to mental stress, strain and their effects. Annex A provides additional explanatory material.

Key topics and requirements

• Terminology and definitions: precise definitions for terms such as mental stress, mental strain, activation, learning, practice effect, competence development, mental fatigue, fatigue‑like states (monotony, reduced vigilance, mental satiation), stress response, and burnout.
• Conceptual relations: specification of how causes (mental stress) relate to individual effects (mental strain) and to short‑ vs long‑term consequences.
• Scope of application: intended for the design of working conditions and to harmonize terminology among ergonomics experts and practitioners.
• Limits: ISO 10075-1 does not prescribe measurement methods or task‑design principles (those are in ISO 10075‑2 and ISO 10075‑3). It focuses on shared vocabulary and conceptual clarity rather than metrics.

Practical applications and users

ISO 10075-1 is valuable for professionals who need a consistent conceptual framework for mental workload and its outcomes:

• Ergonomists and human factors engineers designing or evaluating work systems.
• Occupational health and safety specialists assessing psychosocial risks (e.g., mental fatigue, burnout).
• HR and organizational designers planning job demands, training and competence development.
• Researchers and consultants studying workload, vigilance, stress responses and performance.
• Standards developers and policy makers who require harmonized terminology across guidance or regulatory documents.

Practical uses include aligning assessments, improving communication between multidisciplinary teams, informing workplace risk assessments, and supporting the design of interventions that address mental strain consequences (e.g., reducing monotony or preventing burnout).

Related standards

• ISO 10075-2 / ISO 10075-3 - methods of measurement and task‑design principles for mental workload (measurement and design are handled in these parts).
• ISO 6385 - general ergonomics principles; ISO 10075-1 extends ISO 6385 for mental workload concepts.
• ISO 7933 - example of related ergonomics standards that use analogous stress/strain terminology (thermal stress).

Keywords: ISO 10075-1, mental workload, mental stress, mental strain, ergonomics, workplace design, human factors, occupational health, mental fatigue, burnout.