Ergonomics impact us all — whether we realize it or not. Read on to learn about the definition, domains and applications of ergonomics and how the science of ergonomics impacts your world at work, at home, and all the places in between.
Ergonomics 101 Table of Contents:
Ergonomics Introduction
Whether you’re an ergonomics pro or you’re new to the field, it’s helpful every once in a while to take a broad view of what ergonomics is and how its fundamental principles can be applied. At the very least, you’ll be able to explain what ergonomics is in a social setting. At the very best, you’ll start to see how deeply the field of ergonomics impacts your world at work, at home and the places in between.
Ergonomics Definition
According to the International Ergonomics Association, the definition of ergonomics is:
Ergonomics
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.
The word ergonomics comes from the Greek word “ergon” which means work and “nomos” which means laws. It’s essentially the “laws of work” or “science of work”. Good ergonomic design removes incompatibilities between the work and the worker and creates the optimal work environment.
Ergonomics draws on many disciplines to optimize the interaction between the work environment and the worker.
Disciplines
- Anthropometry
- Biomechanics
- Mechanical engineering
- Industrial engineering
- Industrial design
- Information design
- Kinesiology
- Physiology
- Psychology
Ergonomics Domains of Specialization
According to the International Ergonomics Association, there are three broad domains of ergonomics: physical, cognitive, and organizational.
Physical Ergonomics
Physical ergonomics is concerned with human anatomical, anthropometric, physiological and biomechanical characteristics as they relate to physical activity.
This is the ergonomics domain we are most concerned with in the workplace, and most of the content on this site is very much focused on workplace ergonomics.
Workplace Ergonomics
The science of fitting workplace conditions and job demands to the capabilities of the working population. Ergonomics is an approach or solution to deal with a number of problems—among them are work-related musculoskeletal disorders.
At its core, workplace ergonomics is really about building a better workplace. When jobs are designed to match the capabilities of people, it results in better work being produced and a better experience for the person doing it.
Through that lens, ergonomics creates value on several fronts. It’s good for your people and good for your business.
Benefits of Ergonomics
- Lower costs
- Higher productivity
- Better product quality
- Improved employee engagement
- Better safety culture
The ergonomics improvement process systematically identifies ergonomic hazards and puts in place engineering and administrative control measures to quantifiably reduce risk factors.
Ergonomics Process
Asess Risk: Conducting an ergonomic assessment is a foundational element of the ergonomics process. Your ergonomic improvement efforts will never get off the ground without being able to effectively assess jobs in your workplace for musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) risk factors.
Plan Improvements: The core goal of the ergonomics process is to make changes to your workplace that reduce risk. Making changes at scale requires a significant planning effort that includes prioritizing jobs to be improved, identifying effective improvement ideas, and cost-justifying the improvement projects.
Measure Progress: Measurement is an important component of any successful continuous improvement process. High performing ergonomics programs are constantly measured using both leading and lagging indicators.
Scale Solutions: By establishing a common set of tools to train your workforce, assess risk, plan improvements, measure progress, and design new work processes, you’ll be able to scale ergonomics best practices throughout your organization.
Cognitive Ergonomics
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
- mental workload
- decision-making
- skilled performance
- human-computer interaction
- human reliability
- work stress
- training as these may relate to human-system design
Organizational Ergonomics
Organizational ergonomics is concerned with the optimization of sociotechnical systems, including their organizational structures, policies, and processes.
Relevant topics
- communication
- crew resource management
- work design
- design of working times
- teamwork
- participatory design
- community ergonomics
- cooperative work
- new work paradigms
- virtual organizations
- telework
- quality management
Ergonomics Applications
The applications of ergonomics are everywhere and many books are written on the subject, so I won’t try to cover them all in specific detail here.
But consider this.
The definition of work is an, “activity involving mental or physical effort done in order to achieve a purpose or result.”
That sounds like just about everything we do, and when you consider that ergonomics is about designing the work environment to optimize human well-being and overall system performance, you begin to realize that ergonomics plays a major factor in our lives – at work, at home and all the places in between.
Ergonomics Resources and Further Reading
Ergonomic Design: Industrial and Office Checklists for More Ergonomic Workstations
Good ergonomic design reduces MSD risk factors and boosts productivity. Use these ergonomic design checklists to build more ergonomic workstations.
Workplace Ergonomics 101 Tutorial
Workplace ergonomics is the science of designing the workplace, keeping in mind the capabilities and limitations of the worker. Poor worksite design leads to fatigued, frustrated and hurting workers. This rarely leads to the most productive worker. More likely, it leads to a painful and costly injury, lower productivity and poor product quality.
Fundamental Ergonomic Principles
Have you ever heard the term, “ergo eyes”? It’s an expression that means seeing the world through the lens of fundamental ergonomic principles. Once you know and internalize these ergonomic principles, you’ll never want to go back.
Recommended Ergonomic Assessment Tools
Applying a scientific, evidence-based approach to your ergonomics process is important. The goal is to identify ergonomic risk factors, quantify then, and then make measurable improvements to the workplace, ensuring that jobs and tasks are within workers’ capabilities and limitations.
Ergonomics Training 101 Tutorial
Learn how to improve ergonomics knowledge and skills development throughout your organization.
The Ultimate Guide to Office Ergonomics
If you’re new to the office ergonomics game, you might be wondering where to get started. What does an ergonomics improvement process look like? How do you choose the right chair, keyboard, mouse and other office equipment? If you’re wondering about these things, relax. We’ve got you covered with a little help from some of our friends.
ErgoPlus Platform: Software to Help You Master Ergonomics
Get the tools and training you need to assess risk, plan improvements, measure progress, and scale solutions across one worksite or a hundred.
