ISO 9241-6:1999

Overview

ISO 9241-6:1999 is part of the ISO 9241 series addressing ergonomic requirements for office work with visual display terminals (VDTs). This part - Guidance on the work environment - gives principles and practical guidance to design workplace environments that enhance user comfort, visual performance and overall human–computer interaction. It focuses on environmental factors that affect VDT use rather than specifying detailed technical characteristics of equipment.

Key topics and requirements

ISO 9241-6 organizes guidance around the main environmental factors that influence office VDT work:

• Lighting (natural and artificial)
  Guidance on luminance distribution, glare control, localized and general lighting, and designing flexible lighting to suit both screen-based and paper tasks. (See Annex A for additional lighting guidance.)

• Sound and noise
  Principles for minimizing interference from background noise and methods for evaluating acoustic environments. (Annex B provides measurement and evaluation methods.)

• Mechanical vibrations
  Guidance on whole‑body and hand‑transmitted vibration considerations and assessment methods. (Annex C addresses measurements for whole‑body vibration.)

• Electromagnetic fields and static electricity
  Measures to limit interference between equipment and environment; notes on minimizing unwanted influence though not addressing health effects from emissions.

• Thermal environment
  Principles for achieving thermal comfort (operative temperature, PMV/PPD concepts) and assessment methods. (Annex D covers thermal measurement guidance.)

• Space organization and workplace layout
  Recommendations for workstation arrangement, circulation space and equipment placement to support ergonomic posture and task performance.

General guiding principles stress user control of environmental conditions and minimizing mutual interference between equipment and environment.

Applications and who uses this standard

ISO 9241-6 is useful for:

• Ergonomists and human factors specialists designing VDT workstations and office environments.
• Facility managers and workplace designers/architects who specify lighting, acoustics, HVAC and layout for office spaces.
• Occupational health & safety professionals creating office ergonomics policies and risk assessments.
• Product designers and procurement teams seeking ergonomic guidance when selecting displays, furniture and peripherals.
• Human–computer interaction (HCI) practitioners who need environmental context for usability and performance studies.

Practical applications include planning office layouts, specifying lighting and acoustic treatments, developing ergonomic workplace policies, and integrating environmental controls to improve comfort and productivity.

Related standards

Relevant cross-references within the ISO/IEC framework:

• ISO 9241 (other parts: Part 1, 3, 5, 7, etc.)
• ISO 6385 (ergonomic principles in work system design)
• ISO 8995 / EN 12464 (lighting of indoor work systems)
• ISO 7730 (thermal comfort: PMV/PPD)
• ISO 1996‑1, ISO 2631, ISO 5349 (acoustics and vibration measurement)

Keywords: ISO 9241-6, ergonomics, VDT, workplace lighting, acoustic design, thermal comfort, workstation layout, office ergonomics.