Ergonomics

Ergonomics, also known as human factors or human factors engineering (HFE), is a multidisciplinary field that applies psychological and physiological principles to the design of products, processes, and systems. Its primary goals are to reduce human error, increase productivity, and enhance safety, health, and comfort by focusing on the interaction between humans and their environment.

Key Concepts and Goals

Ergonomics aims to optimize the “fit” between the user, equipment, and environment. This involves considering the user’s capabilities and limitations to ensure that tasks, functions, information, and the environment suit the user. Proper ergonomic design is crucial to prevent repetitive strain injuries and other musculoskeletal disorders, which can lead to long-term disability.

Domains of Specialization

Physical Ergonomics

Physical ergonomics deals with human anatomy and some of the anthropometric, physiological, and biomechanical characteristics as they relate to physical activity. Key areas include:

• Musculoskeletal Disorders: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMDs) are a significant concern, leading to persistent pain, loss of functional capacity, and work disability.
• Ergonomic Solutions: Solutions include awareness training, proper positioning of the body, ergonomic furniture and equipment, and ergonomic exercises. Innovative workstations like sit-stand desks and treadmill desks are also being tested for their health benefits.

Cognitive Ergonomics

Cognitive ergonomics focuses on mental processes such as perception, memory, reasoning, and motor response as they affect interactions among humans and other elements of a system. Relevant topics include:

• Mental Workload
• Decision-Making
• Human-Computer Interaction

Organizational Ergonomics

Organizational ergonomics is concerned with optimizing socio-technical systems, including organizational structures, policies, and processes. Topics include:

• Human Communication
• Crew Resource Management
• Work Design
• Teamwork
• Participatory Ergonomics

History of Ergonomics

Ancient Societies

The foundations of ergonomics can be traced back to ancient Greece, where ergonomic principles were used in the design of tools, jobs, and workplaces. Hippocrates described how a surgeon’s workplace should be designed and how tools should be arranged.

Industrial Societies

In the late 1600s and early 1700s, Bernardino Ramazzini systematically studied work-related illnesses, earning the title “father of occupational medicine.” The 19th century saw Frederick Winslow Taylor pioneer the “scientific management” method, which optimized task performance. Frank and Lillian Gilbreth expanded on Taylor’s methods to improve efficiency through “time and motion study.”

Aviation and Military

World War I and II significantly advanced ergonomics, particularly in aviation. The focus shifted from the aviator to the aircraft, leading to the development of more logical and differentiable controls. Post-war research further expanded the field, leading to the establishment of human factors as a critical aspect of design.

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Cold War and Information Age

The Cold War saw a major expansion of defense-supported research laboratories. The Space Age introduced new human factors issues like weightlessness and extreme g-forces. The Information Age has further diversified the field, particularly in human-computer interaction (HCI).

Organizations

Several organizations are dedicated to the field of ergonomics:

• The Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors: The oldest professional body for ergonomists, formed in 1946 in the UK.
• The Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES): Founded in 1957, it promotes the discovery and exchange of knowledge concerning human characteristics applicable to design.
• The Association of Canadian Ergonomists (ACE): Founded in 1968, it advances the knowledge and skills of ergonomics practitioners.
• The International Ergonomics Association (IEA): A federation of ergonomics societies worldwide, aiming to advance ergonomics science and practice.

Applications of Ergonomics

Ergonomics is applied in various fields to improve human well-being and system performance. Examples include:

• Workplace Design: Ergonomic furniture and equipment to reduce strain and improve comfort.
• Product Design: User-friendly interfaces and controls.
• Healthcare: Improving patient care and provider performance through ergonomic principles.

Conclusion

Ergonomics is a vital field that integrates knowledge from multiple disciplines to enhance human interaction with systems and environments. Its applications are diverse, ranging from workplace design to healthcare, making it an essential aspect of modern design and engineering.

Ergonomics (Wikipedia)

"Human factors" redirects here. For the academic journal, see Human Factors (journal).

Ergonomics, also known as human factors or human factors engineering (HFE), is the application of psychological and physiological principles to the engineering and design of products, processes, and systems. Primary goals of human factors engineering are to reduce human error, increase productivity and system availability, and enhance safety, health and comfort with a specific focus on the interaction between the human and equipment.

The field is a combination of numerous disciplines, such as psychology, sociology, engineering, biomechanics, industrial design, physiology, anthropometry, interaction design, visual design, user experience, and user interface design. Human factors research employs methods and approaches from these and other knowledge disciplines to study human behavior and generate data relevant to previously stated goals. In studying and sharing learning on the design of equipment, devices, and processes that fit the human body and its cognitive abilities, the two terms "human factors" and "ergonomics" are essentially synonymous as to their referent and meaning in current literature.

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The International Ergonomics Association defines ergonomics or human factors as follows:

Ergonomics (or human factors) is the scientific discipline concerned with the understanding of interactions among humans and other elements of a system, and the profession that applies theory, principles, data and methods to design to optimize human well-being and overall system performance.

Human factors engineering is relevant in the design of such things as safe furniture and easy-to-use interfaces to machines and equipment. Proper ergonomic design is necessary to prevent repetitive strain injuries and other musculoskeletal disorders, which can develop over time and can lead to long-term disability. Human factors and ergonomics are concerned with the "fit" between the user, equipment, and environment or "fitting a job to a person" or "fitting the task to the man". It accounts for the user's capabilities and limitations in seeking to ensure that tasks, functions, information, and the environment suit that user.

To assess the fit between a person and the used technology, human factors specialists or ergonomists consider the job (activity) being done and the demands on the user; the equipment used (its size, shape, and how appropriate it is for the task), and the information used (how it is presented, accessed, and changed). Ergonomics draws on many disciplines in its study of humans and their environments, including anthropometry, biomechanics, mechanical engineering, industrial engineering, industrial design, information design, kinesiology, physiology, cognitive psychology, industrial and organizational psychology, and space psychology.