Ergonomic standards go beyond hardware

European concerns about ergonomics, which are closely linked to worker health and safety have already expanded to a directive that affects user-interface design. Now the European Community is debating whether or not the directive should be tied to a standard, ISO 9241. As ISO 9000 has demonstrated, this is not just a concern for European developers. US developers are also finding that ISO standards gate their entry into the global market. The author reports on the status of this decision. Although conformance issues are still being hotly debated, ISO 9241 may be laying the foundation for more usability standards. Software companies may soon have a new ISO standard to be concerned with.<>