ERGONOMICS  is the Power for Human Activities

        ~ Justine Chim, MY Consulting

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What is Ergonomics?

The simplest definition of ergonomics is “the scientific study of human work”.

"Ergonomics is a human centered approach to understand the interactions among humans and other components of a system. The aim of ergonomics application is to optimize human well-being. When you consider ergonomics in any part of your life, you are approaching a safer, happier and healthier living. "

~ Justine Chim

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 in order to optimize human well-being and overall system performance.

~ Official definition by IEA Council, August 2000

Derived from the Greek words ergon (work) and nomos (laws) to denote the science of work, ergonomics is a systems-oriented discipline which now extends across all aspects of human activity. Practicing ergonomists must have a broad understanding of the full scope of the discipline. That is, ergonomics promotes a holistic approach in which considerations of physical, cognitive, social, organizational, environmental and other relevant factors are taken into account. Ergonomists often work in particular economic sectors or application domains. Application domains are not mutually exclusive and they evolve constantly; new ones are created and old ones take on new perspectives.

There exist domains of specialization within the discipline, which represent deeper competencies in specific human attributes or characteristics of human interaction.

Domains of specialization within the discipline of ergonomics are broadly the following:

• Physical ergonomics is concerned with human anatomical, anthropometric, physiological and biomechanical characteristics as they relate to physical activity. (Relevant topics include working postures, materials handling, repetitive movements, work related musculoskeletal 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 sociotechnical systems, including their organizational structures, policies, and processes.

Ergonomist:

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.

Areas of Expertise:

• Office Ergonomics and Design
• Tasks and Systems Analysis
• Risk Assessment on Various Work Situations
• Work Related Musculoskeletal Problems
• Injury Prevention and Management
• Vehicle and Transport Ergonomics/Safety
• Occupational Training
• Product Desgn and Consumer Ergonomics
• Human Computer Interface Design and Assessment
• Usability Assessment
• Environmental Ergonomics

(Browse “The Ergonomics Society of UK” for more information: click here)

Ergonomics Tip Sheets

There are four major principles on effective occupational ergonomics:

•    Having Neutral Postures
•    Effectively Organizing the Work Area
•    Avoiding Eyes Strain, and
•    Using Optimal Lifting Procedures