Ergonomics

Ergonomics, according to the International Ergonomics Association (IEA), 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 in order to optimize human well-being and overall system performance."

Ergonomic research is primarily performed by ergonomists, who study human capabilities in relationship to their work demands. Information derived from ergonomists contribute "to the design and evaluation of tasks, jobs, products, environments and systems in order to make them compatible with the needs, abilities and limitations of people."

The field is also called human engineering, and human factors engineering.

Overview

Ergonomics is a science concerned with the ‘fit’ between people and their work. It takes account of the worker's capabilities and limitations in seeking to ensure that tasks, equipment, information and the environment suit each worker.

To assess the fit between a person and their work, ergonomists consider:

• the job being done and the demands on the worker;
• the equipment used (its size, shape, and how appropriate it is for the task);
• 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, kinesiology, physiology and psychology.

Typically, an ergonomist will have a BA or BS in Psychology, Industrial/Mechanical Engineering or Health Sciences, and usually an MA, MS or PhD in a related discipline. Many universities offer Master of Science degrees in Ergonomics, while some offer Master of Ergonomics or Master of Human Factors degrees.

More recently, occupational therapists have been moving into the field of ergonomics and the field has been heralded as one of the top ten emerging practice areas to watch for in the new millennium. [2]

Five aspects of ergonomics

There are five aspects of ergonomics: safety, comfort, ease of use, productivity/performance, and aesthetics. Based on these aspects of ergonomics, examples are given below of how products or systems could benefit from redesign based on ergonomic principles.

1. Safety: E.g. Medicine bottles — print sizes could be enlarged so those with impaired vision (due to sinus problems, for example) can more easily read the label instructions. Ergonomics can discover the optimum font style, color and size to enhance readability using the limited space available on a medicine label.
2. Comfort: E.g. Alarm clock display — some displays are harshly bright, drawing one’s eye to the light or keeping one awake when surroundings are dark. Ergonomic principles could redesign this based on contrast principles and include automatic dimming functions in low-light environments (such as when a user has turned off the room lights to sleep).
3. Ease of use: E.g. Street Signs — in a strange area, many times it is difficult to spot street signs. This could be addressed with the principles of visual detection in ergonomics.
4. Productivity/performance: E.g. High-definition television (HDTV) — the sound on HDTV is much lower than regular TV; consequently, when you switch from HDTV to regular TV, the volume increases dramatically. This difference in volume can annoy users or, in extreme cases, damage human hearing but could be solved by automatically evening out the decibel levels.
5. Aesthetics: E.g. Signs in the workplace — signage could be made more aesthetic by using a consistent format throughout the workplace.

Domains of ergonomics

The IEA divides ergonomics broadly into three domains:

• Physical ergonomics is concerned with human anatomical, anthropometric, physiological and bio-mechanical characteristics as they relate to physical activity. Relevant topics include working postures, materials handling, repetitive movements, work related musculo-skeletal disorders, workplace layout, safety and health.

• Cognitive ergonomics is concerned with 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, skilled performance, human-computer interaction, human reliability, work stress and training as these may relate to human-system design.

• Organizational ergonomics is concerned with the optimization of socio-technical systems, including their organizational structures, policies, and processes. Relevant topics include communication, crew resource management, work design, design of working times, teamwork, participatory design, community ergonomics, cooperative work, new work paradigms, virtual organizations, tele-work, and quality management.

Ergonomics organizations

The International Ergonomics Association is the federation of ergonomics and human factors societies from around the world.

In the UK the professional body for ergonomists is the Ergonomics Society.